Unknown
by halcyon.18
Summary: Felicity Smoak graduated from MIT with a master's degree in Cyber Security and Computer Sciences and was recruited into the CIA into their cyber security department. Wanting something more out of her life she decided to become a field agent. Now two years later she's one of the top field agents who is trying to help take down The Depot, a worldwide criminal organization.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Arrow or any of its characters, all belong to The CW and DC!**_

 _ **A/N: AU with references and characters from the Arrow TV Show! Enjoy this story! It's going to be a ride.**_

 _ **Follow me on Tumblr - halcyonfanfic**_

* * *

 ****  
"Overwatch, what's your status?" They stood frantically over the computers waiting for any sign that she had made it out alright.

The operation was to grab two vials of the drug 'Verdant' from the lab that hid underground an abandoned building in Italy. They had heard the loud gunshots and yelling. They watched as armed men flew to the building as one of their agents stole a drug the government was trying to hide there.

"She's either hit or they have her!" Roy exclaimed to Sebastian. The worried agents stared at each other.

"I'm out." Came through the comms with thankful gasps of breath being let out.

* * *

Felicity Smoak's plane had touched down in Starling far too soon for her liking. She wanted more rest which is something her job didn't give her much of. Her body ached from running from the assailants. She was left to wonder why she chose the more physical part of this job when she could've stayed behind a computer all day.

The CIA recruited her straight out of MIT. She was now useful to them with her master's degree in Cyber Security and Computer Sciences. She passed the polygraph easily. Which lead to them testing her in other areas. They warned her of the dangers of the job, but offered to completely pay of her student loan debt, and that was an offer she couldn't refuse. She was assigned to the Cyber Security branch and sat at her desk watching for threats and easily getting into their systems to see if further action needed to be taken. It was fulfilling and exactly what she went to school for, but she itched for something more.

Her fellow agents laughed at her when she spoke out loud of becoming a field agent, gaining intel and having to possibly take a bullet. They were the geeks not people who reprieved themselves from a computer screen.

The gossip had spread to the head of the cyber security branch and next thing Felicity knew she was training to engage in the physical testing. Someone with her skills becoming a field agent was beneficial to the CIA, so they encouraged her.

Two years after passing the field agent test she now entered the Starling City CIA branch that was hidden under a corporate building. She had to write her debrief on the mission before she could head home to bed.

Her fingerprints were scanned on a tablet as well as her eyes before the door unlocked and let her into the offices.

Agents buzzed around while others were deep in their computers or paper work probably preparing for their own missions. She headed to her office and sat her bag and coat down before going to see Director Michaels.

The woman with short brown hair sat at her desk in her grey office. Everything coordinated just like the rest of the floor. Felicity swiftly walked in as she caught Director Michael's eyes.

"Where's the drugs?" The director asked, politeness was not something the woman was good at.

Felicity took off her large gold bangle bracelet and pulled the circle apart where the vials were neatly stored in the middle of it. She took them out and placed them on the desk before her.

"There." Felicity remarked before snapping the bracelet back together.

"Good. Have me your debrief before you leave." With that dismissal Felicity turned on her toes and headed to her office.

Helena waited there for her, "Felicity Smoak, I've missed you."

She laughed at the girl's dramatics before taking a seat at her desk. "I've been gone a day!"

"Oliver was pissed you made it out so easily. Pretty sure he was hoping you got shot or something."

Felicity rolled her eyes at Helena's comment. Oliver Queen and Felicity didn't get along in the slightest. They were always disagreeing with how an operation should be done. He would occasionally bring up that she shouldn't even be in the field because her skills were more valuable on a computer. To Felicity this felt like the whole a women should be in the kitchen saying and she'd jab at him that he was only a bodyguard who got caught up in the Russian mob.

Helena kept quiet as Felicity finished her debrief, sent it off to the Director, and let out a slight whine when she realized how far away her bed was.

* * *

"Canary, Arrow, do you copy?" Cisco questioned through the comms.

Adrian, Felicity, and Helena stood behind him as they watched the available security cameras looking for any signs of the two agents.

It was another attempt to gain information on The Depot. Oliver and Sara Lance were on the mission together in a small town in Mexico. They were to steal as many hard drives as they could and meet at the rendezvous point at 10:00pm. It was now 11:00pm and Cisco decided he should try comms to reach them.

"They've been made." Adrian spoke as his hands were crossed behind his head.

Felicity had enough of this waiting game and grabbed a computer next to Cisco before he could stop her. She hacked into the building's security and tried to piggyback the system to find if any security threats went off. When that didn't work she used a program that could identify heat signatures in the building with use of a satellite that the agency had in space.

There was no one in the building that matched Oliver or Sara's physicality.

"Vibe, do you copy?" It was Oliver's voice suddenly booming through the speakers in the room.

Sara was injured and they had to drop a couple hard drives of information but were safe and headed to the plane.

* * *

Felicity wished she didn't have to go to this meeting today; it was Saturday after all. She'd rather stay in bed all day watching Netflix and eating chocolate chip mint ice cream, but she was a CIA agent and had no choice but to go to work when summoned.

Director Michaels sat at the head of the table dressed down from her usual attire. Sara sat next to her with her arm in a sling. Oliver was to her left with Adrian on his other side. Cisco, Helena, and Roy were also seated as Felicity took the seat in between Adrian and Roy.

All the agents had looked run down from another week of trying to gain information on The Depot. Director Michaels had started the meeting stating what Felicity already knew because Cisco had told her already. She zoned out until she heard her name being said.

"Felicity, I would like you and Oliver to go on this next mission to Moscow this week. Being Oliver's background it's going to be risky, but with your background it's nothing you can't handle…"

Oliver interrupted before Director Michaels had finished, "She's not going with me."

Felicity rolled her eyes at him. She didn't want to work with him either but it's not like they had a choice.

"Agent Queen, this is not optional. I need you both on this op. You need to find and distract Dr. Petrov while Felicity downloads the vaccine formula he's developing. We believe that its intentions aren't transparent." She said sternly.

"Sara is capable for this mission." He spoke again causing Adrian to even roll his eyes.

"Queen, if I have to reprimand you again you won't like the outcome. You and Agent Smoak leave for Moscow tomorrow night at 11:25. I will send you both the details and expect an outline of the mission by the end of the night. This meeting is dismissed."

* * *

Felicity was in her office for a total of fifteen minutes before he stormed in.

"Do you even know how to speak Russian?"

She turned to him, "Vy napyshchennaya zadnitsa _You are a pompous ass_."

He liked how her lips formed the Russian words, "Cute. What's your plan?"

She turned away and typed something on her computer screen causing her printer to go off and print what looked like 10 pages to Oliver.

"Get the pages out of the printer, disagree but we are doing it _my_ way."

"Why do you think I'm going to listen to you?" He challenged back.

"Because we all know your history with Russia and you'll do something stupid. I'm not really wanting to become a test rat with this vaccine. Word is that it causes alzheimer's within months and that The Depot wants to use it to craft an army. Which is why my op in your hands will work best."

He glanced at the op she wrote in his hands as she spoke. It was bold even for Oliver, but he knew she was right when she mentioned his history with Russia. The country had gotten him into this mess anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Enjoy!**

 **Follow me on Tumblr - halcyonfanfic**

* * *

Oliver Queen never discussed his past or his family. All anyone knew at the agency was his background with the Russian mob, the Bratva.

It all started when he was working for Diggle Security. He wanted away from his family's business. It had been left to him and his sister after their deaths in a boating accident. He signed it all away to create his own life, but of course it didn't take the path he wanted. He was five years in when he got his last client. The one that costed him his job and almost his life. Her name was Isobel Rochev. Oliver knew better than to fall for a client, but he was lonely and she was attractive.

He quickly found out what a mistake falling for a client was when he had to accompany her to Moscow. She started feeding him information about her dealings with the Russian mob and that she was apart of it when they got into their hotel room. This wasn't a visit to see her family. This was a meeting with the Bratva. Isobel had betrayed his trust and dragged him into the business having the Pakhan, Anatoly, slowly bring him into the brotherhood. This wasn't a situation he was going to walk away from so he stayed. Oliver had saved Anatoly one night when there was a shootout between him and Konstantin Kovar in his village of Krasnoyarsk. For Oliver's loyalties, the Pakhan had made him a Bratva Captain.

Since he was American and a Queen, he was on the CIA's radar. They had watched his movements with the Bratva and the lethal man that the brotherhood made him. He had come back to Starling City nearly two years after he left with Isobel. What he didn't know is that the second he stepped foot in his apartment the CIA was waiting for him and captured him. After learning from his account of why he was a Bratva member they made a deal with him and that is how he became a CIA agent.

Oliver reminisced on that day as the private plane he and Felicity were on touched ground in a private Moscow airport. He was still apart of the Bratva to leak information to the United States government, but that is something that he never openly shared. Sara and Adrian were the only two that knew the truth the rest knew he had a past with the Bratva but weren't aware he was still in the brotherhood. Making this mission in the city where Anatoly now lived especially dangerous.

He hadn't realized that Felicity was now above him staring. She must've been calling his name for a minute.

"If you aren't comfortable being here...look Michaels would've never sent you here...Oliver…" He shook his head at her rambles. He got up leaving her in the dust as she stood dumbfounded as to what just happened.

* * *

The hotel room was bleak and something about it offset Oliver. Perhaps it was the cream color of the walls that perfectly matched all the decor and bedding. It gave him a feeling that he didn't want to have. He watched Felicity set her stuff down on one of the two full beds that occupied the room. He decided to follow suit by claiming the other one.

They had about an hour before they had to leave for the hospital. Felicity set up her computers to hack into the security system. Whatever was important she screenshotted and sent it over to her tablet and phone that Oliver would have. She couldn't help notice how odd he seemed. She knew it wasn't because they didn't like each other, but rather the country that they currently inhabited.

She kicked off her black heels as she went to sit on the bed cross legged. She adjusted her glasses on her nose and even took her hair down causing Oliver to stare for a second.

"Okay, I've had enough. If we are going to make it back to America. What the hell is going on with you, Oliver?" She directed at him without actually looking at him. He stood in the doorframe of the bedroom with his arms crossed over his blue button up shirt.

"It's Russia. What the fuck do you think?" He chose the harsh reaction to her words and instantly regretted it when she shut up. As much as he hated her babbles, right now he needed a distraction from her that didn't involve the sound of her typing away on the laptop.

"I'm sorry." He spoke and with that she slowly got up and approached him.

"Listen I know we don't get along and this can't be an easy situation for you, but in an hour you're meeting with Dr. Petrov and we have to execute this mission. The faster we get it done the sooner we can leave." She reached out and touched the top of his shoulder before passing him to go in the bathroom. He didn't want her sympathy, but he was too in his head to lash out at her again.

* * *

"Why the fuck do I get this stupid over the top disguise and all you get is a wig and another pair of glasses?" He bitched causing Felicity to laugh at the long hair he now wore with a suit and colored eye contacts to turn his blue eyes into brown.

"One word. Russia. Actually that and Cisco…"

"Why does this approved op having me right outside his office while you're inside downloading the formula?" He scanned the paperwork so much so that a permanent scrunch between his eyebrows was threatening to be there.

"Because you saw the dummy one I made for you to agree to last night. It's my way. Whether you like it or not. Now get your ass out of the van and I'll meet you at the rendezvous point when this is over."

"You are the coms too! What the fuck!" He realized she snuck that piece of information in the last piece of paper that he failed to look at frankly because he didn't want to listen to it. She reached across his lap and grabbed the latch to open the door.

"Get the fuck out." She said threateningly.

* * *

They almost made it out clean. _Almost._

Gun fire rang as Felicity and Oliver ducked under two separate cars in the parking garage. They were followed to their rendezvous point. All that Felicity had on her was a small knife. Nothing that would fend off what sounded like 3 to 4 shooters. Oliver was the one that had nothing but his bare hands. He was crouched trying to make his plan of attack.

Felicity had no choice but to throw her knife at a pair of legs that were at the other side of the car that she was at. She quickly ran closer to Oliver hoping that together they could get out. He had his plan in motion though rolling swiftly over the hood of a grey car and tackling one of the shooters to the point where he got their gun free and punched the man unconscious. He ran back to Felicity and handed her the spare gun he found on the man.

"Got a plan besides shooting these guns at them covering us enough till we can get to the stairs?" She questioned.

Oliver's eyes stared into hers. She could feel the fear behind them. Was the Bratva here? Were they after Oliver?

"I don't think it's them, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Follow me." He grabbed her arm as he squeezed his larger frame under a truck pulling her smaller one through easily. They were almost to the stairs when Felicity was grabbed causing her to fling herself back into the attacker making sure to elbow him in the neck and crotch before running to catch Oliver who was shooting at the other men before opening the door to the stairs.

Running down the stairs as they dodged bullets coming from above. It got to a point where they had to jump down the stairs not bothering to take the time to touch their feet to each one. Felicity tripped falling to her knees and Oliver stopped to grab her back up. In that second he let out a hiss as he was shot in the back of his left shoulder.

"Come on! Move! We have to move!" Felicity yelled as she now yanked him down the rest of the stairs with blood rushing out of his shoulder.

* * *

He ended up out of work for four days. Felicity had avoided him at work for another week. She wasn't in the mood to be yelled at for him getting shot or that he was currently inactive due to injury because of her falling.

He stormed in her office door one night and shut it. The wrath was finally here.

"You lost your footing causing the damn bullet in my shoulder, Felicity." He spoke with venom especially as he drawled out her name at the end of his sentence.

She spun herself around in her black office chair to face him. "You were two minutes late to the rendezvous point. I waited. If I didn't you'd probably be dead or worst back with the Bratva. A bullet wound like yours will heal, Oliver." She decided to speak back to him with ice and pierced him with his own name.

"You don't belong in the damn field!"

She'd usually let him say that without talking back but she wasn't about to have him walk all over her again. So she stood in front of his heaving chest to make herself come off as bigger as she spoke. "I have a masters from MIT. I ranked in the top percentile of my physical and mental tests to become an agent. I've passed every polygraph. I passed the field agent test. So don't you stand here and try to belittle me when the only damn reason you're in this agency to begin with is because you're a playboy who decided to get a big boy job which landed him in hot water with the Russian mob. You being a field agent with the CIA is a plea deal when you should be rotting in jail."

She forced her feet to move and to harshly bump into his injured shoulder on the way out of her office. She wasn't letting him have the last word as she grabbed her purse and got the hell out of there.

* * *

It was little missions here and there for Felicity. She had wondered if Oliver had talked to Director Michaels and somehow this was her punishment. Helena and Adrian told her not to worry too much about it, but she did.

She forced each foot forward harder than before trying to push away all the thoughts that consumed her as she ran along the trail next to the water. She focused on the sky which was now past sunset as the moon started to shine brighter. Felicity's body ached from her intense running but she wouldn't stop. Frankly, she didn't want to.

She was grabbed from behind and quickly tried to fight whomever it was off. That was till the cloth was pressed against her face. She knew it was chloroform and that she stood no chance in defeating it even though she held her breath. Her attacker would take her anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Arrow or any of its characters, all belong to The CW and DC!**

 **A/N: May be updating quite a bit because I'm on a roll! But please leave a review and let me know what you think. It will help me continue on and I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

 **Follow me on Tumblr - halcyonfanfic**

* * *

She could feel that she was bound to a chair as she came to her senses. There was a thick cloth over her head and she didn't see any light shining into it. Everything was dark.

Her body ached from the position it was in and her run. She was stupid for not realizing she was being watched and silently cursed to herself. How stupid could she be? How long had she been here?

She tried to wiggle her hands out of the rope that bound them. She stopped when heard footsteps and her cloth was removed from her head. A bright light was shone directly at her causing her to not see her captors.

"What do you want?" Her voice cracked as she spoke both from lack of moisture and her wanting to play weak to them.

"You are such a pretty thing to be involved in this mess. Such a shame I'm gonna have to ruin your face." A man spoke with a Chinese accent to his dialect. "It seems you've stolen a program from my employer two months ago. He wants to know how you were capable of such task. Everyone before you has failed. It took a lot to track you down, so you better not disappoint."

She knew exactly what program it was, Helix. She was praised when she got it to the CIA. Her tracks were covered, but they still found her. She was going to have to deflect for as long as possible. She did that until her captor threw a knife at her, which landed in the middle of her right thigh causing her to wince. She made it convincing by screaming. She had to make them believe she was being worn down. Appear to be nothing but a weak girl who got involved with the wrong people.

"You've cost us a lot of money!" The Chinese man yelled again. Someone spoke telling him to shut up. A face entered the light, she recognized it instantly, Damien Darhk.

"My my you're a strong little thing aren't you? You see there is a greater cause and that cause wants Helix back. You've got one minute to tell me." He paused pulling out a fire torch from his back and turned it on, "Or I'll burn your face off."

"Sir! Mister Darhk there's a security threat! We must go now!" Another voice yelled causing the light to be shut off as footsteps scurried out.

Felicity sat still bound and now bleeding in many places as three more knives were thrown at her after the first. Besides the one in her thigh another one joined it. As well as one in her left shoulder and another in her side.

* * *

"It's been three days! Felicity doesn't disappear for that long!" Helena pleaded with Director Michaels and her fellow agents before her.

"Darhk has her." Michaels finally spoke causing all the agents to turn at her like she'd grown another head.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Adrian spoke first. Followed by the wonders of why no one went to get her. Why this information wasn't given to them sooner?

"She's in Dubai. The Depot wants Helix back and sent Darhk to Felicity. I've been monitoring the situation. I had to make sure she wasn't suspected of being an agent or she would be dead by now. They started torturing her today. My contact has gone silent. I need to assemble a team to rescue her. Sara has gotten four people from her side of this agency. I wish for Queen, Chase, and Bertinelli to accompany them. Wheels up in an hour." She spoke in a robot like state and then left the room.

Meanwhile most of the team was left in shock. Oliver was too happy that he was allowed back in the field after getting clearance this morning to do so. Helena, Cisco, and Adrian sat there in disbelief at the situation. How could Director Michaels leave Felicity in that much danger when Darhk was apart of The Depot's larger picture?

"She forced me not to say anything. I'm sorry guys." Cisco said apologizing to the group. They nodded accepting it. For they all knew how Michaels could be.

* * *

Oliver and Adrian had gone down a hallway that wasn't listed in the blueprints. Helena was with Sara and her men were solo throughout the large building.

Both men had their guns raised and shot at any ghosts of Darhk's that got in there way.

"Got my back?" Oliver asked Adrian.

"You're covered. Does it freak you out that he calls his security detail ghosts?" Adrian scanned the area.

Oliver went to answer when they heard a female scream, Felicity. She must've figured out someone was here to collect her. Both went running in that direction. As much as Oliver hated her for getting him shot, no one deserved to be tortured. They found a door and shot the knob off. It was pitch black until Adrian found a switch turning on the lights to the entire room.

In the large room Felicity was placed in the middle up against a wall. There was blood around her and stained her workout clothes she was previously in.

"Took you long enough." She sarcastically said as Adrian kept watch as Oliver ran towards her. He looked at her injuries and decided that removing them would be best. He carefully removed one out of her thigh without telling Felicity.

"Are you trying to make me bleed out?"

He took the knife and sliced through the ropes on her feet and hands.

"I have to it's the only way to get you out of here. I'm taking them out carefully." He grabbed gauze and tape out of his pocket and put as much as he could on her two wounds on her thigh. Ones those were taken care of he pulled the one out of her side and lifted her shirt to apply the gauze. Felicity was losing blood but she swore he mouthed 'I'm sorry' as he pulled the one out of her shoulder.

Adrian ushered him to hurry and Oliver quickly pulled Felicity over his shoulder. She was passed out from blood loss at this point and he knew this method would be the fastest way to get her out of here.

* * *

She awoke to beeping sounds and counted her heartbeats with the machine. Oliver hadn't let her die by stupidly pulling out those knives. Fantastic.

She startled as a voice spoke and realized that Michaels was sitting next to her bed like a hawk. She did her typical apology and questioned Felicity. When she was satisfied enough she left.

Helena and Adrian came in some time later. Felicity was too groggy from the medicines so they didn't stay long.

She was half asleep when a soft male voice awoke her, Oliver.

"Well thanks for not killing me by taking the knives out and you know me bleeding to death and all..." She uttered out causing Oliver to smirk. She expected him to leave figuring that he got the thank you he wanted but instead he sat next to her.

"You can leave now."

"What if I was about to apologize?"

"You wouldn't. It's beneath you to do something like that."

He shook his head at her, "I wasn't going to let you die in the field, Felicity. It's not my first time having to pull knives or sharp objects out of someone."

Her eyes were closed and he thought for a moment that she had fallen asleep. She was barely awake, "That's reassuring," it was a smart reply and exactly what he expected from her. He noticed her breathing was evening out on the monitor. The second he was sure she was asleep he softly left her room.

* * *

"If you steal another one of my Big Belly Burger fries Cisco, I will murder you with my bare hands!" Felicity yelled as she frantically typed on the computer in front of her and shoved fries in her mouth.

"You didn't bring any for me!" He whined and she glared at him.

Director Michaels was on edge after Felicity told her that Darhk was tasked with getting Helix back. Her and Cisco were assigned with copying the program on a secure CIA hard drive and then rewriting a version of the program incase it had to be given back or put back out in the world. Giving it back or reinstalling it were the last things that Felicity wanted to do.

Her wounds were mostly healed and she caught Oliver staring her way for too long every now and then. He thought she was so fragile that she would break at any second. The looks he was giving her didn't help to put her mind at ease. It was always after she got injured in the field that she questioned her choices that lead her here. Should she have remained behind the computer where she would've been safe? No, she wasn't that person anymore she had practically fought her way here. Her body was one of a warrior's and her mind was as sharp as ever. She was supposed to be here, or at least that's what she'd convince herself of.

* * *

Adrian laughed as she came out of the bathroom in a full face of makeup including a dark smokey eye and red lips and her tight black latex bodysuit. She was hoping that she covered her scars well enough as she ignored her partner's laugh. He handed her the obnoxiously high heels and she placed them on her feet.

"Dare I ask how you're hiding a weapon in that get up?" Adrian stopped laughing as she seriously told him no. The answer was a small knife in her hair that was in a bun and in her very pushed up boobs.

She checked herself over in the mirror in the hotel room, "Think I look like I belong in an Australian club?"

Adrian came up behind her placing his hands on her hips. "I'd buy a night with you."

She turned around and gently punched him. Their mission was to clone a ghosts phone. Unfortunately, some of Darhk's men liked to hide in an underground club where women sold themselves off for money. This was a new definition of "down under." Adrian was on comms and would assist once she got one of Darhk's men back to their hotel room. She'd swipe the phone as they knocked out the guy and they'd drop his body off near the club where he'd wake not knowing how he got there. Simple.

The loud music of the club flooded Felicity's ears, but she was still able to hear Adrian guide her to where the ghosts sat. She had made it into the club easily her looks over qualifying their standards. She caught a ghost quickly as he offered her 12,000.00 Australian dollars. The mission was text book from there.

* * *

She climbed into the large king bed in the hotel room first. The CIA had treated them to one of the nicest rooms in the hotel they were staying in. The bed felt like a cloud to Felicity and she hoped with the jetlag she'd fall asleep easily. She had to cut herself out of the bodysuit and cursed at the material causing Adrian a laughing fit from the other side of the bathroom door. She had showered and waited for the moment to tuck herself in. Adrian sat at the desk in the room finishing the upload of the cloned phone to the CIA.

She was asleep when he got in the other side of the bed, but it startled her awake.

"Felicity, it's just me." He spoke softly as she now inhaled the smell of him fresh out of the shower. He smelled of musk, but was still warm like vanilla. They always made innuendos when they were on missions with each other, but never acted on it. Something was different this time. Felicity felt confident especially after the way he eyed her in that bodysuit today.

She skillfully rolled herself over to him and his arms met her body pulling her completely into his chest causing her to fully inhale his intoxicating scent. He wanted this too, but never would act on it. A woman as smart as Felicity wouldn't want someone like him with his messed up past. In a way being an agent was his peance too just like Oliver. He was going to indulge himself if she'd let him even if it was just one taste.

She had titled her head up and pulled Adrian's head close enough that he could kiss her if he wanted to. She had made the first move and was leaving it up to him. Sure enough their lips met and what was once innocent turned into undying need.

He pulled her closer, if that was even possible, as their mouths hungrily moved against each other's. He liked the way her small frame felt against his larger one. This wasn't going to be one taste he was going to have it all. He placed a hand on the curve of her hip as another entangled in her hair. In this moment they were both so raw, so real with each other. Felicity pulled back enough to pull her t-shirt off her body leaving her in nothing but a pair of black panties. There was enough light in the room for Adrian to get a look at her breasts. He wanted his mouth to taste them. Making his way there he gently pushed her so that her back was flat against the bed as he loomed atop of her. He pulled his own shirt off and pressed his bare chest to hers as he reclaimed her lips. Her hands racked up his back as the bulge in his pants was getting harder by the minute. His lips danced down to taste her one breast eliciting a moan from Felicity. She went for his sweatpants trying and failing to get them off causing both of them to laugh amidst the heat.

Before removing her panties he asked for permission. Making Felicity melt at how genuine his voice became.

There was no turning back now.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Kind of a filler chapter...expect another update soon!**

 **Follow me on Tumblr - halcyonfanfic**

* * *

Chase didn't regret sleeping with Felicity. Instead he had wondered if he should've done it sooner. She was the tech girl who was unbelievably smart. When Michaels had asked him to help train her he didn't know what to think. He soon found out that she was stronger and tougher than she looked. All the obstacles he threw at her she overcame. After all, he did recommend her for field agent.

It was the times when he had to assist her form with his body up against hers or her touching him as she fought off his attack that caused the tension to bloom.

He watched her walk down the hall to Cisco's office a week after they slept together. He had avoided her for fear that he couldn't control himself and right now that proved true. She had a pair of black heels on that made her legs go on for days. A tight black pencil skirt with a cream blouse and her hair pulled up in a ponytail. The way her hips moved as she walked made him weak.

"Hey, think a lead on Darhk might be happening." Oliver broke him out of his trance. He wanted to punch him, but quickly averted his attention to him.

"Red flag go up in computer land again?"

"Something like that...Felicity babbled something that she needed to get Cisco and tell Michaels."

Adrian nodded turning back to see that Felicity had left Cisco's office, something was happening.

* * *

"Darhk hacked part of the stock exchange. He's making bold moves now. His point of origin is coming from Japan."

Felicity, Oliver, Adrian, Cisco, Sara, Helena, Roy, Curtis, and Nyssa sat around the conference room table as Director Michaels spoke.

Take down Darhk had been the mission for months. He was a great asset to The Depot. They were planning to pull enough information that they could take it down. The question now was how was Darhk pulling off all of this? His ghosts only did so much and the hacks were next level. This was to send a message.

"Felicity, I'm going to have you behind a computer here while Oliver and Adrian go there and plug into the mainframe. From what you told me you can find some form of code that will ID the hacker."

"There should be a trace of who it is left behind somewhere technology isn't that forgiving especially with what they hacked. And I'm pretty sure that the stocks aren't happy when they'll be nothing left and if I get something it's a start into the hole of tracking the person to the end of it, very Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole like -"

"Felicity." Helena stopped her babble of words and for that she was grateful. She smiled and awkwardly looked down as they continued discussing the mission.

* * *

Felicity sat at her desk completely enthralled to her computer when Adrian walked into her office.

"You should be going on this mission with me you know." She jumped at the sound of his voice.

"What so we can sleep together again - not that I didn't like that or it was bad just -"

He smiled at her, "The time we would be in the field would be less with you directly accessing the mainframe there. I argued with Queen about it for an hour already."

She drew her attention back to her computer, "Well, he doesn't like me too much or think I'm fit for field agent."

He came closer to her and placed his right hand on her left shoulder giving it a light squeeze. "I aided in your training, Smoak. We both know you could kick Queen's ass and then some."

It was her turn to smile now. He kissed the top of her head and left to head to the plane.

* * *

The two men decided to get drunk on the long plane ride to Japan. Since it was a private plane there were just the pilot and the co-pilot with them. It started with shit beer and ended with the expensive whiskey and vodka they brought. It was like old times for them.

Adrian and Oliver had gone through field training together. Both were in terrible places in their lives. They'd fight physically and verbally until one of the stubborn men was storming away. The next day they'd pretend like nothing happened.

The rest was history. The men truly bonded when they discovered that both had lost their parents. Then Oliver confided in him about how he was still apart of the Bratva. The CIA had a hold on him and Adrian always promised to have his back.

"I think the last time we were this drunk on a mission was Mexico." Adrian dragged out the last part of his sentence causing Oliver to laugh.

"That was because we knew we ate bad tacos and were trying to rid them from our systems. Michaels would've killed us if we came back for debrief and started puking our guts out on her desk."

Both men touched their stomachs in remembrance of how horrid the tacos were to their systems.

Adrian laughed now with Oliver once again joining him at the ridiculousness.

"We did a proper food and water to alcohol ratio now. Hey man I'm gonna go sleep it off."

The next words slipped out of Oliver's lips before he could stop his drunken self, "What's going on with you and Felicity?"

The tension radiated through Adrian's body, "Queen, you hate her. Why does it matter?"

"Because we both know she's smarter than both of us. If she starts digging in your past…"

"That's enough. Plus it isn't any of your concern." He stormed to the back part of the plan to sleep leaving a very drunk Oliver alone to wallow in his thoughts.

He was on edge and couldn't shake it. Being confined in the small plane didn't help.

The mission, that's what his focus should be on, so he went over it again and again in his head till he passed out.

* * *

Days later Felicity was once again engulfed in her computer.

"Why are you still here it's 4am?"

"What the frack, Adrian!" She playfully smacked him as he came closer to her.

The mission had been a success and both him and Oliver had just returned from Japan after being there for three days. She was still sifting through codes.

"You and me are going to Starling Diner and then you're going home and sleeping. Come on up up!" She wanted to protest but he practically lifted her up. She clambered wanting to properly save everything and shut down her systems properly and he let her as he went to grab his things. He heard the click of her heels all the way to his office. He past Oliver's office on the way to his, "Thought you'd be headed home to sleep."

"Since when are you and Felicity a thing?"

"What?" Adrian was shocked at him asking again, but considering he was drunk before maybe he didn't remember already asking.

"You stared her down the other day and now what I just saw in her office. Her blinds were open."

The offices were like private cubes, but entailed windows with blinds on all four sides. Why was Oliver watching them so intently? He shook his head as he told his fellow agent goodnight and went to gather Felicity.

* * *

He had walked her to the door of her apartment like a gentleman. It was now 7 in the morning. Felicity was beyond tired after being awake for more hours than she should've been. Oh god did her bed sound good right now.

The hand on her waist, to support her tired state in those heels and because he wanted to touch her, moved to pull her in for a hug which she returned. He gently stretched away from her, but not far as he placed his hands gently on either side of her face. Their orbs stared into each other's and they both slowly met for a kiss.

"You should get some rest."

Felicity nodded and countered, "You're one to talk, Chase."

She poked his chest causing him to smile. They said their goodbyes. She wondered what Adrian and her would become but her tired body overtook the thoughts as sleep welcomed her the second her head hit the pillow.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Follow me on Tumblr - halcyonfanfic and please review!**_

* * *

"I expect that you still are in contact with the Bratva?" Michaels questioning Oliver about his involvement with the Russian mob wasn't unusual, but today it seemed more pressing. He knew from experience that she wanted something and this was her way of nicely asking for it.

"Anatoly feeds me crumbs every now and then. I've kept my eye on the Bratva here in Starling. There's nothing too pressing or that gains this agency's attention."

"Mr. Queen, are you forgetting the deal with your pardon? You are to report everything you know."

Her tone agitated Oliver as well as this meeting. "Like I said he feeds me crumbs. I have no intention of giving this agency or any others that use my intel something false. It takes time I credit my information."

A "very well" was his dismissal. She had perturbed him. He headed straight for the coffee in the kitchen area. Felicity and Adrian were sitting there enjoying their own coffee. He decided to take his time fixing his coffee. The only reason you'd stare at a woman like Adrian did the other day is if you had slept with her. Clearly, Oliver was experienced in that matter.

"If I upload that virus to the server it can cause damage and us not getting any info. Michaels should just let me in the damn field!" _Felicity wasn't allowed in the field?_ Oliver continued listening in.

"She doesn't admire you for your field skills. Just the ones up here." Adrian replied to her. Oliver had his back turned, but he knew that he must've touched her face because she made a sigh of contentment.

"Adrian."

"You've got that crinkle in between your brows. It's cute, but it's going to be there forever if you keep over thinking this. Let Michaels fuck up."

Oliver had heard enough and decided his coffee was acceptable to drink.

"Oliver…"

He stopped and turned to Adrian who had spoken to him.

"Michaels had you for awhile, everything alright?"

"Yeah, Bratva shit."

He couldn't help but notice Felicity also staring at him. She looked puzzled as to why he'd mention the Bratva when he no longer worked for them. Well at least Chase wasn't spilling his secrets to the girl. Him and Sara were the only two that knew he was still involved. Chase offered him his time to talk if need be which Oliver quickly dismissed.

* * *

It wasn't everyday that someone stepped into Windsor Castle, but here were Felicity and Oliver. They had gone through security before giving their aliases to the guest list. Tonight they were Geneve and Seth Williams. Felicity wore a sophisticated red dress as Oliver was clothed in a black tuxedo. They were attending the Queen's grandson's birthday party which was filled with high ranking politicians and socialites. The CIA was hoping members of The Depot would appear here as well.

Felicity and Oliver were arm and arm as he helped guide her down the great hall. She was memorized by the beauty of it. The ceilings were high, red and gold colored the place; all the castles she dreamed of when she was a child didn't compare to this. She saw Oliver focused straight ahead and she gawked at all the sights she passed. They were supposed to be wealthy so it didn't seem out of place for her to get ideas of things she would want from a castle. She could feel Oliver's unease though. The conversation with Michaels had clearly bothered him as he couldn't seem to shake the mood it brought upon him.

They finally made it to the Grand Reception room it was large but not as large as Felicity thought it would be. With champagne in tow they mingled around until Oliver pulled her aside. No one would question the young couple wanting a few minutes to themselves.

He held her close though causing her orbs to stare questioningly into his.

"Darhk is here, if he spots you...our cover is blown." He spoke in a hushed tone. He picked his head up enough to watch the crowd.

"I thought I saw two ghosts." They were uncomfortably close.

"One is posing as a waiter too."

"They're up to something...I didn't see any other members."

He shook his head saying that he hadn't either. They decided to send morse code to the agency letting them know something was occurring and back up might be needed.

"We should go back in." Felicity suggested.

"Or we should roam and see who else is lurking."

"Oliver, we can't get caught either way."

"Thought you were field rated...this is nothing that you can't handle."

Before she could disagree further he was dragging her down the hallway. Since they were in the main part of the castle she knew where he was headed the second he made a sharp right. They were going towards the king and queen's chambers. Oliver laughed to himself at how tight security was to get into this castle, but now they were practically freely roaming the halls. Felicity shared his thoughts when she stated that there should be more security. Something was wrong.

Oliver was suddenly hit over the head and Felicity lashed out at the attacker before realizing who it was causing her to stop immediately, the Queen's grandson.

He had a look in his eyes as he now had the advantage and grabbed Felicity by her neck, choking her. She looked to Oliver who was unconscious on the floor. There were two men who stood keeping watch she recognized them as ghosts. Darhk had found her.

"Mister Darhk sends a message. Helix in 24 hours or he will bomb the capitol of the United States." By his voice she knew he was infected with whatever The Depot was cooking up. Darhk was winning.

She saw Oliver start to move on the floor, but it only made things worst when the grandson grabbed her neck tighter so that she actually couldn't breathe. Felicity could hold her breath for ten minutes but she didn't have enough air supply to even get. She could go limp ending this…

She dropped as Oliver scrambled to his feet a ghost knocked him down as they escorted the grandson away when he turned back around Felicity was standing there out of breath but fine.

"Thought you said I wasn't cut out for the field?"

"What's Helix?" He came back and the horror in her eyes was real. Michaels never told him what it was because he was affiliated or still is with Bratva. It made sense.

"Not now, we have to get back to the agency."

* * *

The plane ride needed to go faster. Felicity's racing mind condemned her from getting any sleep. Of course Helix had come to bite her back in the ass. Oliver was sound asleep in the seat across from her. She wanted to pace, wanted to go through all her protocols on her computer again, but Michaels had ordered them internet silent on the small private plane.

"What's Helix, Felicity?" Oliver asked bringing her out of her thoughts. She had wondered if he was not sleeping at all. Instead watching her and was waiting for the right time to interrupt.

"You don't have clearance." She said truthfully.

"Bullshit."

"She told me you are still apart of the Bratva and that they're considering sending you deep undercover in Russia."

Michaels had to be the 'she' Felicity referred to. He rubbed at his face clearly frustrated that someone shared this information with her that was not him. This was his problem. His secret.

"Well you weren't supposed to have clearance to that either." He muttered.

They went silent.

"It's a program that can override most government mainframes. I stole it from Russia's government months ago without realizing its full potential. Cisco, Barry, and I tore it apart, looked through every piece of information and codes. Michaels was impressed to say the least. It's something that The Depot should never have none the less Darhk."

"He's going to bomb the capitol."

"Tell me something I don't know, Oliver." She snapped.

"We are going to have to give it to them."

Felicity stared at Oliver like he just said the dumbest sentence ever. "What part of if can override governments don't you get? We were working on giving him an altered version but we think he's seen it. If we change anything he will know."

"If you're a computer genius, why can't you give him the altered version and say you fixed it or made it better?"

"Yes Oliver, because stopping him from blowing up one thing for maybe a week before he figures out he doesn't have the real version is such a great idea."

"I'm trying to buy you time!"

"Damn it. I need a solution! Time won't solve this!"

Deciding he had angered her enough Oliver shut up. She rolled her eyes and sat as far away from him as she could.

* * *

"Okay so we give it to him, but everything that's the big bad has a line of code on it that will give us an alert if he presses the button." Cisco explained to the room of agents.

"But how do we give it to him? Where do we meet him?" Roy added.

"I put it back where I took it from." Felicity plainly stated causing her fellow members to look at her like she'd gone mad. They all had been informed of the original mission in hopes they didn't have to return Helix.

"No." Adrian stated faster than he could think.

"Set up the op Felicity. Anything you need let me know. Move quickly!" Director Michaels said but the agents weren't moving.

"She barely made it out the first time. Entering the Russian government isn't going to be a cakewalk." Helena didn't want her friend having to do this again.

"I can get her in." Oliver spoke explaining how he still was Bratva. Apparently today was the day the agency's members told all their secrets. Being a captain Oliver had an in. Doing this would set things in motion though. Things he never wanted to do again.


	6. Chapter 6

She couldn't fathom how she was back here again. Nor the fact her current nemesis had led her here. The great 'Oliver Queen Captain of Russian Bratva' had smoothly got her inside the government building that months ago she had to crawl through the air ventilation system after hours to enter.

Oliver requested to be escorted to the server room with Felicity. He stated he was checking a lead for the Bratva and must be in the main server room. The workers easily compiled and that's when Felicity realized the government was infected with Bratva meaning Oliver was in deep, _very_ deep. He probably would never escape the Russian mob. They didn't tell him about Helix because the CIA feared he'd tell Bratva who had it. Everything was becoming clearer.

Once inside Oliver locked the door after the woman escorted them in had left. There was no time to waste as Felicity got to work pulling the hard drive out and replacing Helix back to its origin.

She had heard Oliver on the comms confirming that they were in easily. They were watching for anyone suspicious to come to the building, especially Darhk. If Bratva showed up Oliver was to turn Felicity in as a trader, a road neither of them wanted to go down.

Oliver was uneasy as he watched her. He could feel the dark side of himself coming out through using his Bratva power. His hand was rubbing at the Bratva tattoo underneath his shirt even. He couldn't let himself think too far into it though or it would consume him. Once again Felicity was pulling him out of his thoughts.

"I need fifteen minutes for this to upload. Confirm it's back and we are set. Is that possible?" She asked Oliver without even looking at him. He stated that it would be fine and they had practically all the time in the world.

She was tempted - very tempted to see what else was lurking on this particular mainframe. Maybe she could free Oliver from Bratva and he wouldn't be so damn bitter all the time.

She was broken out of that thought when Oliver warned her that they had company.

Darhk.

"The hell…" Oliver muttered as he replied in more broken words before getting Felicity's full attention, "...he's sitting in the lobby… I think he's waiting for you, Felicity."

"I talk in sentence fragments. Not you. Think he wants to end me since I was the only one capable of stealing Helix?"

When Helix was first rumored the dark web didn't think it was real, but it was real enough for the CIA to have Felicity monitor it. Then it was a stream of hackers trying to prove it was real and once they did the object was to steal it for their own gain. Many tried and every single one of them broke the fail safe at the last second before extracting it. This Russian government building was polluted with hackers from all over getting caught and arrested for months. When she attempted to steal it she knew it was succeed or die. Michaels wouldn't let her return empty handed. That's why today amazed her so much at how easily Oliver's power let them here. Did Darhk tip them off that this was the woman, the only human, capable of successfully stealing Helix and now they were here for her?

Oliver sensed her worry, "I'm Bratva. They won't kill you."

She nervously laughed, "You didn't steal the control alt delete button on the world and then bring it back."

"How much longer?"

"Two minutes and it will be back. I think we should escape out the air ventilation system…you know so we don't get bullets in us..."

"I agree." He replied as he already was standing on a desk to pull the duct apart.

Once it was finished Oliver helped hoist Felicity up into the vent and quickly followed her. The system was back up meaning Helix was actively in the world again and the hunters would be back for it.

He followed Felicity's small frame throughout the vents. She easily remembered her route before which would drop them into the sublevel.

Once they dropped, they ran straight for the exit door that would cause alarms to ring.

At the other side of the door was the black limousine that they quickly climbed into and sped off.

The window separating the driver from the back rolled down, "Don't know how well my driving skills are with this beast." Adrian was there as well as Sara who climbed through the window to join Oliver and Felicity.

She sat close to Oliver as if she was claiming him to Felicity. Unnerved Felicity climbed up to sit with Adrian as she shut and locked the window.

"You shouldn't be up here." He flatly stated causing Felicity's face to scrunch up in confusion. She started straight at the road in front of them as they quickly passed buildings.

"It's tinted." Was her stupid comeback.

"The two will think something is going on if they haven't already between the two of us."

"Ashamed of me, Chase?" She faced him as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Never. We just never formed what we were. I don't want you making a decision that you'll regret."

She mischievously placed her hand on his upper thigh causing him to tense.

"Felicity…" his voice was low in warning that she was affecting him.

"Get to the safe house. We will talk then." Before removing her hand she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek causing a grin on the stern man's face.

* * *

Talking turned into them ending up naked in the sheets again. They were sure that Sara and Oliver had at least heard their moans. This was something now and they were committed to seeing it through.

Felicity lied on Adrian's chest fast asleep. Her blonde locks spread over his bare chest as his arm was around her waist and the other resting behind his head. He couldn't believe that his reality was so real.

Chase's father, Justin Clayborne, was murdered by The Depot. They murdered him the same way his mother was murdered when he was a child. Both of his parents were high ranking attorneys. Their clients were ones that were either with The Depot or against it. The plane crash his mother died in had been considered a 'rare accident' but when the same thing happened to his father when Chase was fifteen, coincidence wasn't the word used. He once was Simon Morrison that night he was pulled from his home and away to protective custody. He became Adrian Chase and dove into the theories surrounded his parents deaths until he discovered the truth in college. He went to be an attorney as well thinking that he could seek some kind of justice for his parents by following in their footsteps. The day he uncovered it was when his professor in his elective class in intelligence figured out what the young man was after. The CIA got in contact with him and the rest is history. Chase never looked back once he joined the agency. He knew this was how to get justice for his parents.

Nights like this where happiness flooded his mind he would torture himself with the past. He just couldn't let himself be happy. Felicity moved in her sleep and brought him back to reality. He had to appreciate her. The agency had improved his life in more ways than one.

* * *

Back in Starling City, Felicity's head was reeling from the events leading up to the returning of Helix. She kept following up on every break in at the building in Russia.

She would even hold her breath until Oliver showed up for work each morning. As much as she hated him, she was worried the Bratva would bring him back in.

Michaels had called for everyone in a meeting. They had discovered what the formula was for that Felicity and Oliver took in Moscow.

"It's for a drug called _Verdant_ which can be used for suggestion after it erases one's memory. Right now the agency feels that it's being used to bring more members into The Depot." Michaels stated.

"Why would they need to resort to suggestion?" Sara questioned.

Felicity's brow creased as Cisco rocked side to side in his chair.

Adrian pinched his nose before answering, "They're making an army of compliant people to do their dirty work." His eyes drifted to Felicity's who shared his worry.

"Which is why I want to get closer to this, to have an in so we can be a couple steps ahead. Since the drug was made by a Russian doctor it would make sense for the Bratva to be involved." Michaels couldn't even finish the sentence when all eyes were on Oliver. Michaels was crazy and unpredictable. None of the agents around the table wanted to hear her next words, "Agent Queen is still a member of the Bratva for informative purposes to this government. In the best interests of taking down The Depot, we need Queen in the tight circle once again. I will be drafting a plan for Agent Queen to go undercover in Russia for awhile."

Oliver slammed his fist on the table startling many. He should've known that Director Michaels would send him back there. Of all things she would use this to exploit him.

"What if I say no?" Oliver declared more as a statement then a question.

"Then the agency labels you as a traitor and you likely get the death penalty. Langley has this all approved mister Queen. I'm sure the director of the CIA would not take lightly to your dismissal of this mission. I did not inquire with you. I am ordering you, Queen."

Everyone's mouths were open as Oliver stormed out of the meeting. He had no choice he was being forced back into the heart of Bratva.

* * *

"Ollie you shouldn't have to do this!" Sara was almost as upset as him. Her as well as Adrian sat in Oliver's office.

"They'll kill me if I don't. You both know what I've done in my past. They will show no mercy."

"What if Michaels is playing you to get what she wants. We all know she doesn't bring up Langley unless they're on her ass." Chase added.

"This whole subdivision is responsible mainly for The Depot…" Oliver thought aloud. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair.

"You going into Bratva isn't going to take down The Depot. It's bigger than us, hell it's bigger than the CIA." Adrian was sympathetic to Oliver. He knew how destructive The Depot could be to one's life.

* * *

Felicity couldn't let herself worry like this about her fellow agents. She was a compassionate person, which is something to had to depress with joining the CIA. It was late, as usual, by time she left the office.

The security to get out of a secret lair of the CIA in Starling was as difficult as one would expect. As soon as she got through it she contemplated not returning her heels to her tired feet. The amount of germs on a parking garage floor made her shiver and place her shoes back on.

Her Mini Cooper was parked far off to the garage and as she got closer she heard moans. Crinkling her brow she stopped in her tracks as she looked around to see whose cars were left.

She spotted Cisco's car, the man rarely left, and a few other agents that usually worked late. She did the brave thing of walking closer to her car making it around the last slab of concrete the separated her from _the_ car.

It was Oliver's.

She didn't know how soon they'd be shipping him off to Russia so of course he went back to his old ways of partying before leaving for such a trip. The problem was her car was next to his and they would see her or she would see them. She just wanted to go home and eat ice cream. She decided to take the petty route of making her car alarm go off. It stopped the movement of the black car next to her as she propped herself up against the concrete waiting to safely go to her car.

The back passenger door opened prompting Felicity to stop her car from frantically beeping. A disheveled Oliver exited followed by a somewhat put together Sara. She kissed Oliver on the cheek before smugly walking past Felicity, as if this was something to be proud about.

Felicity said nothing as she approached her car. Oliver shut the doors to his and leaned up against the car watching Felicity get situated in hers.

He grabbed the driver door before she could shut it. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?" he asked, but she could see the worry in his eyes.

"I was unaware you were leaving so soon."

"Thanks to my outburst I'm heading out tomorrow morning."

"Oh," Felicity mustered while her hands fidgeted between the steering wheel and gear shift.

"Just be careful, Oliver." She looked into his eyes as he smiled back politely shutting her door. She watched for a second as he got in his car before she turned hers on and drifted away.

What if that was the last time she'd ever see Oliver Queen alive?

* * *

 ** _A/N: Please review!_**


	7. Chapter 7

"Stop!" Felicity squealed as Adrian chased his lips gently down her side. It tickled to her. He grinned against her velvet skin purely enjoying the reaction he was emitting from the woman beneath him. He decided to get off of her and lay to her side. She bashfully covered her face with the blanket from his bed. She giggled and he laughed.

"You're adorable, stop hiding come here!" He said pulling the blanket off her face before kissing her nose and pulling the blonde into his bare chest. They stayed like that for awhile content to be in each other's arms.

His phone rang breaking their spell. He gently got away from her now asleep frame and groaned at the name on his phone.

"Agent Chase," he answered.

" _You are being directly called in to the office. Please report to the server room."_ An automated voice rang. It was Director Michael's code for when they were required for a mandatory meeting. It usually meant that something was occurring. Felicity's phone went off next and she stirred to answer and groaned after hanging up.

"Chase, I need coffee. Lots of amounts of coffee if she's really requiring my ass to be there too."

Felicity had been working till 4:00am decoding and attempting to hack into the Russian government room that was home to Helix. Somehow they had kicked her off the system. She supposed that they found her bug and removed it. It's been weeks of her doing this and Adrian was worried, but knew she wouldn't stop until she solved it.

He obliged to her coffee request and got out of bed. This isn't the Sunday morning he had planned.

* * *

"Agents Chase and Smoak will be on this mission. This is the first time in months China White has been spotted. I can't stress how important it is to capture her or any information." Michaels spoke harshly at the two.

After the meeting Adrian had followed Felicity back to her office. She was quiet which bothered him.

She fidgeted the empty coffee cup on her desk as he stood in the door frame watching her. Next was moving pens on her desk. Then her keyboard and titling one of the computer monitors down. What the hell was she doing?

"Felicity…" he spoke softly, not knowing how lost in her own mind she was.

"I don't want to go. I know it's stupid, selfish actually because who wouldn't want to go to Spain? But this, it's so much more. If I tell Michaels I can't go she's going to suspend me. I shouldn't be so stupid…"

"Felicity." He had to stop her rambles as he came close facing her he placed both hands on her shoulders.

"What's going on?" He was gentle and she wasn't used to a man actually being that gentle with her rambles.

"My ex-boyfriend lives there." Her blue orbs looked into him. Why did she look so afraid?

"Okay." Gosh, he should've said something more to encourage her.

"He's a hacker that works for the Spanish mob. It's a long story, but that mob had to let China White in and if they're watching her and we show up then they'll be watching us then me then…"

He hushed her bringing her to his chest as he trailed his hands around her to brush her neck.

He whispered in her ear so softly she thought she'd imagined it. When he pulled away he squeezed her hand. She heard it.

' _She's testing you.'_

* * *

Their hotel in Madrid was beautiful. Felicity had wanted to spend the day making out with Adrian because well frankly the man was stunning. She had forced herself to believe that as soon as this was over she'd summon him to the bed. They'd never leave and she'd have her lips all over his body. After she was done with the last kiss, the last lick, the last touch - he'd return the favor.

She shook the thoughts as he came into the bedroom from the bathroom. His hair was now slicked back. Face clean shaven - a look she hadn't seen since he been her teacher. She cursed at how real she now wanted her fantasy to be. Her jaw must've been open because he chuckled at her breaking her stare.

"Like what you see, Smoak?" He smirked at her.

She stuttered and he chuckled more. He thought she was adorable.

She turned back to the mirror finishing her makeup. She didn't even know how she had got her face to look this good with her thoughts distracting her.

Announcing she was going to put her dress on in the bathroom Adrian sat watching her, studying her.

She came out minutes later in a stunning navy blue dress. His breath caught in his throat as he stood up to the woman before him.

"Beautiful." He muttered as his hands went around her waist. His lips pressed softly to her forehead and down to her neck as her hands swam around his lower back.

"We can stay here. Report nothing happened. Get drunk off the mini bar - wait is that a Kesha song? Anyway I'd like nothing more than for you to rip me out of this dress and smear my makeup," she looked up at him intently, "Adrian."

God was she something. He had to keep his composure though, "Baby I will do _anything_ you want. After this mission."

* * *

Another elite party. This seemed to be how to get all The Depot members to come out of hiding. Ghosts were easily spotted. Spanish mob members with their cigars. Random people that had some importance here. No China White though.

She should've been here by now.

Felicity and Adrian decided to split up. They both had comms to communicate with each other as well as Cisco.

Felicity grabbed a flute of champagne on her way to a man who seemed on edge. Everything about his body language screamed at her to follow him.

She followed him down a hallway and turned right when she was grabbed. She tried screaming but was quickly shoved into a dark closet.

"Shit." She spoke before reporting in her status, "Vibe, AD, some asshole trapped me in a closet."

" _Anything around you can see to get out?"_ Cisco asked. She grabbed her phone and turned on the flashlight. "Just a mop and bucket. AD, what's your status?"

" _A ghost is following me and…"_ His comm made a terrible sound. Someone had dropped it in liquid, shit.

"Vibe, I need you to have visual on AD. I'm going to try to pry myself out of here."

" _Copy."_

She needed to jam the lock. There would be two consequences to that though. One she'd actually get out and two she'd really trap herself in.

"Fuck," she muttered and Cisco heard her.

" _Hey Overwatch, got those silver sexy heels on?"_

"...Yes."

" _Pop the heel off your right foot. Left you a little present."_

She did what he said. Inside the heel was a lock picking kit. _Genius_. She was out of the closet in a minute. Trailing down the hall to Adrian's last position.

" _Overwatch, he's in the south hallway. Second door on your left."_

She skillfully pulled out the knife from between her breasts as she approached the area.

The door was locked and she was happy to have picks on her. Opening the door there was a bloody faced Adrian with a woman standing over him who had white hair, China.

Felicity took a stance with her knife as China raised a gun at her.

"Look at you so fragile. Tell me sweetie what agency sent you?" China spoke.

Adrian was barely conscious. Felicity noticed China shift to him as she took her eyes off of him.

"Why are you here China. Didn't like living in a hole anymore?" The woman didn't shake Felicity.

"I'm not whom you should be seeking." Before Felicity could question her further she shot at Adrian and flung herself out the window.

She wasn't leaving Adrian here to bleed out. Using the knife she cut him out of the chair. He was coherent now that Felicity had shoved her finger into the bullet wound in his arm. She made sure it didn't damage anything major before dragging him up from the chair.

God he was heavy. Much heavier than she imagined. Telling him they had to move didn't help. His weight was all on her as she told Cisco the situation.

They had to get to a safe house.

Cisco led her out the nearest exit as Adrian held a little bit more of his weight for her to aid him.

Blood was everywhere. He had already lost a lot from his face, hands, and now gunshot wound. She had nothing to press to the wound. If she took his jacket off it could cause more damage. The safe house better be close.

Once outside Felicity, in her blood covered dress, swiftly ran to the parked cars after making Chase sit down. She had to find one that she could manipulate with her phone to make the car think that was its key. Push to start technology was just making her job easier as she quickly got into one and pulled up to where Adrian lied. She helped him in the back seat of the car before quickly driving off.

Cisco provided her directions to the safe house as she sped through the streets of Madrid at night.

The safe house was in an unexpected part of town. Felicity quickly parked the car and gave her codes to the keypad at the back door. Once it was open she went and got Adrian who was now alert.

She set him on the couch and quickly moved to grab the medical supplies. Scissors cut through his suit. The dress shirt and jacket being discarded as Felicity went to work on the bullet wound. Swiftly she pulled the bullet out a bandaged the wound. He needed more blood. The fridge was stocked with every type so she grabbed his and hooked him up to an IV and transfusion.

"Look at you, Smoak. Saving my life and all." He spoke clearly and she smiled.

"I learned a thing or two… I think you're stable enough for me to leave you for twenty minutes."

"Why?"

She cut herself out of the dress not bothering to properly take it off and get blood on herself more. Tennis shoes, sweats, and a hoodie were in her hand as Adrian watched her.

"Got to go ditch the car…"

"You stole a car for me, you shouldn't have." He laughed and winced as his face hurt.

* * *

She came back to him washed up and changed into clean clothes. Securing the house she did the final check in of the night with Cisco. They'd be out of there in five hours.

Adrian had crawled into the bed in the studio like room. His body ached. She came and sat next to him checking every wound again to make sure he was okay.

"I'm fine, Smoak."

"Well I didn't get info from China and all you got was a beating a bullet wound. I don't think we are fine. Michaels is going to eat us. Should've stayed at the damn hotel room." She gently ran her hand across his cheek.

"There's another player involved that we aren't seeing."

"She told you the same thing?"

"Yeah, that was after her men beat me. What are we missing?"

Felicity signed, "I think that's a question for Michaels. There's always more information than what meets the eye with her."

She looked away from Adrian as the words he spoke earlier haunted her.

' _She's testing you.'_

* * *

Knife after knife she launched into the target. She was aggravated with herself and this job. This wasn't Felicity. She ignored the burn throughout her body from her work out. The pain in her shoulders from throwing knives so precisely. She didn't care. She didn't want to feel.

As expected Michaels' had torn her apart. The old Felicity would've ran to the nearest restroom and cried. This Felicity just wanted to repeatedly stab at something.

"Felicity, what happened?" she didn't hear Helena enter the room. She threw one more knife before seeing that she was accompanied by Cisco.

"She suspended me."

Both friends were shocked by the words as Felicity grabbed her towel to wipe the sweat from her chest.

"What? Why?"

"China White crawled out of her hole for the first time in months and all I got was my partnered injured and a very mysterious 'I'm not who you want' before she flung herself out the window. Beating Chase was a message to stop coming for her. I'm suspended for a week because I didn't do my job."

She didn't let them answer as she stormed out of the room just wanting to be home.

* * *

A knock on her door startled her from her accidental nap on the couch.

"What are you doing here!" She yelled at Adrian as he walked into her apartment.

"She suspended you!" He yelled angry at the situation and not her.

"Don't remind me." She practically barked at him her eyes wide.

"You didn't let me die." He spoke softer now.

"She probably would've rather I left you and chased after China."

"She wasn't giving us any information. I told Michaels that!"

Felicity rubbed her hands over her face in frustration she changed the subject, "You're injured you shouldn't even be standing this long," she motioned to her couch as she shut the door behind him.

He obliged as she sat next to him. No words were spoken as they just sat in silence. Everything that could've gone wrong did. Felicity felt guilty that Adrian got injured like she could've done more. All the doubts started to fill her mind. Why did she choose this? She should be behind a desk and not in the field. Maybe that's what she needed. She'd go straight to Michaels in the morning and ask to be a computer nerd again. Never going back into the field.

His hand rubbed up her back. She didn't realize that she leaned forward with her head in her hands. She spoke all this aloud too. Cursing she groaned as she knew exactly what Adrian was about to say.

"Felicity, in the field everything can go wrong. You know that. At the end of a mission it doesn't matter if you got the intel or not. You're alive. That's what matters. This job can take our lives and everyday it doesn't is a victory. You wanted to serve a bigger purpose. There isn't a single agent out there with your computer skills and field skills. Michaels values you."

He sat up to pull her hands away from her face as he took his own to make her look at him. Tears ran down her cheeks as he spoke, "You know one thing? Out of all of us in that agency you're one of the ones that still has their humanity. Keep that Felicity hold onto it as tight as you can."

She kissed him, hard. She expected him to pull back or stop her in some manner but he didn't. He kissed back just as hard as passion ignited through them.

The fire went out the second Adrian winced. Now remembering he was injured and was in no shape to do what he wanted with Felicity.

"Damn it," he cursed causing her to giggle.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I can't have the very attractive woman before me right now. Bullet wounds hurt." He pouted and she kissed his cheek tenderly.

"Well Agent Chase, this very attractive woman can take care of you so you heal faster...and you know other things…"

"Miss Smoak do inform me of these other things."

The sound of her giggles all night made him fall for her harder. Felicity had no idea how incredible she was.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Please review!_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Sorry it's taking me so long to update! I will be regularly now! I uploaded two chapters so make sure you've read the previous before this one :) Make sure to review when you're done as well!**_

* * *

 **SIX MONTHS LATER**

It was another late night in the office for Felicity. She now was the only one left as Roy and Cisco left an hour ago. Thankfully she was running on pure caffeine in attempts to help Cisco and Barry figure out where the hell Damien Darhk was going next. They've figured out his past three moves already but feared their luck would run out. Felicity sat in her chair legs crossed chewing on a red pen as she watched the algorithm run.

The clock read 4:35am meaning agents would be returning to work at approximately 6:00am. She was leaving Barry to inform Michaels of the latest findings. Her and Cisco have stayed way past the time they should be while he could barely keep his eyes open. This was the least he could do.

The sound of something smashing caused the red pen to fall out of her mouth and onto the floor.

Slowly, she got up onto her bare feet as her heels were ditched hours ago. The light was coming from Oliver's office as she saw the shadow.

It was him. Oliver was back and completely destroying his office.

It would've been in her best interest to not approach him being that they hated each other but she did it anyway.

As she reached the door he had scissors in his hand.

"I wouldn't throw those if I were you." His head quickly turned at her voice.

His blue eyes pierced her. He wasn't in control. He didn't think anyone was here. Of course she was here probably deciphering who knows what for Michaels.

His head was shaved shorter than she'd ever seen. His veins popped not only from his very muscular arms as they usually did, but his neck and forehead. He was full of rage and Felicity knew she just poked the beast by the look in his eyes.

He dropped the scissors to the ground before rubbing his hands down the back of his neck. He leaned against his desk with his hands firmly gripping it for control.

"It's very late Smoak." He spat.

"Yeah welcome back. Trying to make your office look like you threw a party for yourself?" She always made inappropriate jokes and regretted that one when Oliver looked like he wanted to eat her head off.

"This agency took 6 months of my life and then forced me to kill one of the few people I trusted in the Bratva. I'm quitting. They will kill me and I'll be free." He grabbed the nearest object and flung it barely missing Felicity's head.

"Look Oliver I'm sorry but you're serving a purpose rather than rotting in jail."

"I don't want to hear your purpose bullshit Felicity! Some of us didn't have such an easy life and end up in a secure government job because they wanted to! This is fucking life or death for me! I've killed so many people. There's so much blood on my hands while yours are as clean as water. You do not get to tell me I serve a purpose to this agency when they've made me kill so many people that I've lost count!"

"Here's the thing Oliver. You don't know my life. You don't know a damn thing about it! You've formed it in your head that I've had this perfect little life and you could not be more wrong! I'm sorry that your life has been so messed up but instead of giving up keep fighting because you are not done fighting!" She went rigid frozen in place as she finally got to scream at Oliver liked she'd dream about.

"There's nothing left to fight for." He said solemnly.

What he did next she never expected. He slid down to the floor completely breaking down. He didn't care that she was witnessing this. Of all people she'd have the sympathy that he needed. Hell he craved it. Russia was all out of sympathy.

"Oliver…" she came to him. Sitting next to him she placed a hand on his left knee. Comfort. Oliver craved more. He leaned into her side. His head resting on her shoulder as he calmed himself. Even though she hated him She let him and he was even more overwhelmed. There'd been so many times where they wanted to kill each other and here they were.

At some point Felicity had his hand and was rubbing soothing strokes on it. They sat like that for awhile.

"Hey...agents are going to be arriving in about 45 minutes. Let's get this place fixed up a little bit, alright?" She spoke softly bringing him out of his trance and back to reality.

* * *

"Felicity quit moving!" Barry yelled.

"There's a bullet in my shoulder and you're prying around with tweezers to get it out. I have zero pain medication in me. So yes, Barry, I'm going to fucking move." She snapped.

A quick mission with Barry to Canada to receive a piece of decoder for the intel Oliver brought back from Russia had gone wrong. They got the decoder and Felicity got a bullet wound.

It wasn't serious and she insisted on waiting till they got back to the agency. Now she sat on the table in the medical bay with Barry terribly playing a game of operation on her wound.

Cisco entered with Oliver and stopped what he was saying when he saw what Barry was doing.

"Whoa tweezerman! Drop those things. You're a nerd not a surgeon."

"Come on removing a bullet is like spy 101." He dropped the tweezers as Oliver approached. The man intimidated him.

"Get her a light dose of morphine. You can handle that right, Allen?" He nodded at Oliver who then turned to Cisco, "Give me a scalpel and forceps."

As Oliver got the supplies he took his attention completely to Felicity. "Allen didn't butcher you too bad. You didn't lose much blood." He got out a blood pressure cuff and checked that, "Blood pressure is fine. You feel alright otherwise Smoak?"

"Better now that I have morphine in my system." She smiled.

Cisco handed Oliver the sterile supplies he asked for and got to work. The sound of the bullet hitting the metal pan echoed through the room. They forced Barry out and it wasn't too long after that Cisco followed. Leaving Felicity alone with Oliver.

"What doctor show did you watch to know what to do?" She asked as he finished patching her up.

"Experience." He firmly answered. He wasn't in the mood for her antics. Cisco informed him that Barry was trying to pull a bullet out of Felicity. Knowing the kid would mess it up he came to properly remove it. That was all. Well maybe this was him returning the favor for her comforting him the other night.

She was silent knowing better now than to talk.

"You're good." He spoke as she grabbed a t-shirt to throw on till she could get home and shower.

He was cleaning up but she saw him when he looked at her front. She was just in a bra and black jeans with boots. Something was sexy in the way her hair was up and her pale skin against the black clothing. What the hell was he doing? She was a pain in his ass.

Grabbing her ruined bloody shirt off the floor she tossed it in the garbage. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "I've got to go check in with Michaels before I leave. Thanks for fixing me up."

He said nothing and continued cleaning up as she awkwardly left.

* * *

"How is this thing still saying no data when there is literally a megabyte or more on it!" Cisco yelled as Felicity entered his office the next morning.

Barry clambered to her, "Felicity, I got you a coffee to you know apologize for trying to dig out that bullet…" she swiftly grabbed it take a sip of the caffeinated drink.

"You got it just the way I like it, so I guess I accept your apology." She sat down her bag and coat pulling up a chair to Cisco's computer.

"Stop what you're doing…" she grabbed the keyboard out of Cisco's hands as he looked at her like she was insane.

She typed frantically at the keyboard and as if her hands were magic folders opened with data.

"Boom!" she yelled directly in Cisco's face as he scowled at her. "If you kept hacking it that way it would've erased itself. Michaels does not need to have my head again."

She typed in the words 'verdant,' 'Petrov,' and 'China White' into an algorithm to pull those up first.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she made her way to her own office. Her stuff in her arms as well as Oliver's reports from Russia. Her shoulder ached but she ignored it. Gather the intel that Oliver got was priority.

On her way there she ran into someone causing the files she had to go in the floor. She'd been bumped right where the wound from the bullet was causing her to react with a hiss.

It startled the man before her as he gently touched her other shoulder asking if she was okay.

"Yeah bullet wound is tender yet," she looked down to her files as she now stared at this man.

"Uh I should probably get those for you." He awkwardly said as he handed her the files.

"Yeah thanks," she replied as he handed her half of them, "what are you doing?"

He looked up and down the hall, "Clearly you shouldn't be carrying this much with a wounded shoulder, so which way is your office?"

She smiled as she had him follow her. Opening her door she sat her stack down and directed him to a place to put his.

"By the way, who are you? Not to sound rude or anything but I stay here pretty late and usually know everyone's face...and I'm rambling sorry I tend to do that." She plopped in her seat.

"I just transferred to this branch of agency. Today's my first day. I'm Tommy Merlyn."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hello! Make sure to leave a review and follow me on Tumblr: halcyonfanfic**_

* * *

Oliver's blood boiled at the thought of his childhood best friend being in this line of work. Frankly, he didn't think he had the smarts for it, but one could also say the same about Oliver.

The memories came flooding back into his mind. He caught himself staring out into nothing more than once in the past couple of hours. His head was beginning to throb.

It all started after Tommy appeared in the boardroom this morning all hell broke loose. The two had no idea about each other's whereabouts. Most thought Oliver was dead or on an island of women.

"You do not get to show up in my life again and order me around Oliver!" Tommy yelled.

The two men went to the empty training room to talk, which truly turned into a yelling match.

"I'm here because I'm on a pardon. You chose this as justice for what? This won't make your mother come back Tommy." That was a low blow. Oliver didn't know what Tommy's reasoning was.

"You don't get it Oliver! I want to help the greater good. My father isn't the best person and at least I shall clean up the whole Merlyn name somehow."

"You want to be a star on the wall? A nameless star? The name Thomas Merlyn doesn't mean shit."

Tommy wanted to punch Oliver, but he kept his composure. If the new Oliver before him was anything like the old one he needed to change the subject, fast.

"Felicity Smoak. What can you tell me about her? Michaels has me on mission with her." Tommy was calm in his approach of asking. He dared to mention that he had already had a small run in with the blonde.

"More computer nerd than field. Verbally gets lost in her own thoughts. Has taken bullets. Michaels speaks highly of her, but watch yourself." Oliver warned.

"She's too cute to be a field agent." Tommy joked causing Oliver to shake his head at him.

"Careful, she's probably hacked the cameras to have sound in this room and heard that."

"Oliver I don't want there to be any animosity between us." He knew that one joke wasn't going to solve their problems. Tommy had to try though, "It's been awhile, to say the least, can we figure out this whole thing before biting each other's heads off? I haven't had any real friends…"

Oliver approached him Tommy studied his face still not fully believing this was real. Oliver had aged like a fine wine.

"I haven't had many real friends either," he squeezed his shoulder gently before leaving the room.

* * *

"Awkwardddd…" Cisco dragged out the end as him, Felicity and Helena were in his office. Not much was exchanged after Tommy and Oliver stormed out screaming at each other. The agents being nosey all waited for the pair to return to the offices.

Oliver kept his normal serious composure as he returned through the doors. He headed to his office and closed the blinds from prying eyes. Tommy was a little more shaken. It looked like he had seen a ghost. He was headed to Michael's office. They felt pity for him.

"Did anyone pull up his files yet?" Helena questioned. Both her and Cisco turned to a frantically typing Felicity who stopped just in time to answer.

"Thomas Merlyn. Father Malcolm Merlyn. Mother Rebecca Merlyn, deceased. She was killed by a criminal organization, but it doesn't list which one, just says unknown. Party boy, mostly with Oliver Queen...Malcolm cut his trust fund at eighteen, but it really was because he had become a criminal to avenge his wife's death. A low level of the CIA recruited him in attempts to conform him into an agent. It's noted here his social status would make him notable enough to help the agency gain access for missions...he's been a field agent in Chicago." She read then turning to her friends.

"Sounds like the agency is using him to me," Helena remarked.

"Two reformed party boys are odds I don't believe in." Cisco added.

"And I leave with him on a mission for a relic in an hour, thank you both for the vote of confidence!" Felicity dramatically left Cisco's office.

"Cisco, the first sign of this Merlyn character putting her in danger. You shut it down. Understood?"

"Yeah of course…"

* * *

"So Tommy, he's a party boy friend of yours?" Felicity asked as she stormed into Oliver's office.

He was typing on his laptop and now promptly turned to face the intruder.

"What the hell are you doing storming into my office!"

She folded her arms over her chest, "I am going on a mission with this man. Since he seems to have the same history as you, well forgive me if I don't have so much faith in him!" she spat.

He got up from his seat now and towered over her causing Felicity to laugh. She would never be intimidated by this man.

"What's so funny, Smoak?"

She replied curtly, "You're not some Bratva thug who can intimidate me. Remember what office you're standing in?"

He huffed, "Get out."

"You haven't answered my question."

"I said get out," Oliver growled lowly.

She stood her ground, "Make me."

It took everything Oliver had not to pick up the woman before him to physically take her out of his damn office. She was fire standing in front of him. He knew better than to dismiss her a third time.

"I trust him with my life, so you should trust him with yours."

Felicity laughed, "Since when should I take your word? You're the one who lied to the government about Bratva and then gained their trust to the point where you feed their info to that very same government. Once a player, always a player."

She stormed out slamming his door. He was so frustrated to the point where he honestly wanted to murder someone. The only person who evoked this feeling was Felicity, and that was why he hated her so much.

* * *

Tommy fumbled around the hotel room. Felicity could tell he was nervous. She slid a knife and small gun in the special garter around her left thigh. Her hair was in a tight updo as her skin was covered in a red flowy ensemble. She was ready. She stared at Tommy from across the room.

"This isn't your first big boy mission is it?" Felicity stood against the wall with her arms folded over her chest.

He shook his head, "No, no not at all. Just Michaels threatened me already. I don't feel like getting my head chopped off when we return."

She sympathized for him, but they needed to get going. "Come on, we can't let the Chinese get the relic."

She was watching Tommy. Every move they made inside the museum. They kept their distance, but were always in the same room. She'd sneak a glance pretending to admire the art, but she was watching him.

The opening of this part of the Galleria Borghese museum was an exclusive event.

The big reveal was the relic that they were there to steal. This one contained a martyr's remains. The Depot wanted it for purposes way out of Felicity's beliefs.

They wanted to reconstruct the person to lead in their take over, as if a bunch of terrorist weren't enough.

Tommy's hands were sweating at the overwhelming thought of screwing this up. Oliver warned him about Felicity, but she seemed to be the one who was actually focused on this mission.

At 7:30 they both would have to be near the relic. Spray a substance that would cause the glass around it to turn to goo. At 7:40 the lights will go out for approximately two minutes. Whoever is closest grabs the relic and heads to the nearest part of the garden waits for the other to come with the car and speed off.

They had agreed she would get the relic. A woman stealing it wouldn't be thought of in this place. She had the better chance.

" _You're entering the room now, Overwatch. Going to be tough to get through to get close enough. Five minutes."_ Cisco warned.

She nodded at Tommy from across the room. He scratched his head in response that it was go time.

Felicity eased her way into the crowd feeling a little nervous about attempting to steal something that was considered this profound. Tommy was positioned to quickly exit the room the second the lights went off to get the car.

She played with her rings as she got closer. The one contained the spray for the glass. She easily clasped her hands together and squeezed at the fake diamond till the glass had a thin mist on it. No one noticed. She stood pretending to take appreciation for the piece before her.

" _Ten seconds guys."_ Cisco reminded them.

Tommy took a deep breath from his position and Felicity did the same from hers.

The lights went out. Felicity grabbed the relic and held her breath until there was no alarm going off. Surprisingly, people started panicking. Pushing and running out of the room. Perfect opportunity.

The relic was a small vial that easily fit in her clutch. She ran looking panicked through the hysteria and out the exit where Tommy was waiting. Swiftly, she entered the car as Tommy floored it.

* * *

Michaels wasn't putting up with any of Oliver's shit. Now he sat painfully in a chair as her special goons beat him up.

He knew they were following him. Once he was grabbed he just let what was about to happen, happen.

His mouth tasted deeply of metal as they continued to pound into him.

Apparently, you're supposed to tell your employer that you also were best friends with someone who's father is a terrorist. This was her excuse this time for this unheard punishment in the agency. Really it was to put him in his place. Remind him that he was on a short leash that could end him in prison anytime.

He knew how to break out of these restraints. Michaels knew he could too, but he remained in them taking the beating.

Not the face, they couldn't let him walk around like that without questions being asked. They hit his ribs especially hard.

He unveiled the damage once he got back to his small apartment. After all that he had been through he was a simple man whose apartment contained more empty space then possessions.

Oliver's senses were heightened more than usual that night. Something bothered him and he couldn't figure out what it was.

Part of him worried about Tommy. The other part knew that it was probably best with Felicity. She'd be smart enough to get them out of the situation.

He needed to ground himself. The adjustment of being back in Starling had been different this time. In Bratva he was this dark murderous man but now in the CIA he was starting to believe in the good, that he was apart of something making a difference.

This was life or death for him now. There were choices he had to make, no choices he needed to make in order to keep himself alive. There wasn't much left for him to fight for anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Second update tonight! Don't forget to leave a review :)**_

* * *

Corto Maltese was hot. Felicity would do anything to endure a winter atmosphere right now. The hairs that fell out of her ponytail stuck to her neck annoying her.

Oliver had worn a hat and long sleeve shirt with shorts. She wondered how he was surviving considering the amount of sweat she was watching come off his body.

Focus. She needed to focus. Her and Oliver were keeping watch over Adrian and Sara.

They were meeting with one of China White's associates. Something was ticking in Corto Maltese and the CIA had to find out before the clock ran out.

"Need any more water?" Oliver asked Felicity.

"No, I think the car is approaching…"

"Canary, DA car approaching from your left. Overwatch and I are in position." Oliver spoke to the comms as Felicity's grip tightened on her rifle. If they enemy fired first her and Oliver would fire as a distraction to get Sara and Adrian out of there.

* * *

Felicity's stomach hurt. Everything just took a turn for the worst.

"How the hell did the agency not know this was his base of operations when this has been going on for two years!" Adrian yelled as the team assembled at the safe house. The tone he used didn't sit well with her. Chase was full of an all too familiar rage that didn't help her stomach.

"We are staying here until Michaels gives us the go." Oliver tried to reason.

"It's a damn bio weapon! You know we could use that friend of yours as bait."

Poking the bear was a bad thing to do. Felicity had already learned that you don't question Oliver about Tommy. Both women watched as Oliver and Adrian rammed into each other. Punching and kicking doing whatever they could to cause harm.

Felicity yelled at Adrian as Sara tried to pull Oliver off.

"Adrian! Adrain! Stop!" She finally got through to him and he charged to her causing her to feel as small as a mouse as he towered over her.

"You shouldn't be here, Felicity! We know you have the brain power to probably shut down whatever the hell Merlyn is about to unveil. You're in his land! Your face is on his cameras. Going to his people. Get out! Get out!" He sounded manic.

"I won't stop fighting. You need to pull yourself together! Three months without your antics has been wonderful!" She stormed out of the main room and off to her assigned bedroom.

She couldn't take the rage that would come out of nowhere from Adrian. She wouldn't stand to be belittled. That was the reason she left him.

The door to her room opened quite some time later. Felicity lied on the bed with her feet still touching the ground as she stared into the ceiling. She thought it was Chase until she realized it was a smell that lingered from that night he tucked himself into her shoulder, Oliver.

"Michaels gave us the go. You and I are going into the unveiling party. Chase is going to cool down yet with Sara…"

She felt the but coming. Oliver didn't want to ask this, but he went for it.

"Has he ever hurt you? Is that why you left him?" She read the concern in his voice.

She sat up now her eyes glossy as she looked at a worried Oliver Queen standing before her. She almost wanted to laugh not at him, but at the situation. He doesn't get to lash out at her one second and then be caring the next.

"I can take care of myself, Queen." The comment didn't match the emotion in her eyes.

He sat next to her, "You flinched when he yelled at you. I've seen you in far more threatening situations and you've never flinched like that."

"His revenge plan got ruined, you know the one for his parents. The agency found he had ulterior motives and he got angry. Now he's full of this rage. He's like a time bomb. He goes off one minute and then is fine the next. The Depot ruined his life. I deserved better than that. He deserved help. He was supposed to go to a shrink. I don't know what's happening. I feel responsible." She stuttered the last part as a tear came down her cheek.

"I'll talk to him, but in the meantime. We have to leave in an hour. Do you need help getting ready? I uh, I can ask Sara if she'd help…"

"If she wants to play makeup she can. I don't care. What am I even wearing?"

"The agency sent us things."

* * *

Malcolm Merlyn ran Corto Maltese and all his dirty operations through the city. Now, here Felicity and Oliver entered the swank ballroom as if this were an auction for art pieces and not a bioweapon.

The agency had no other information on what this weapon was. Their aliases' were forged onto the guest list. They had to hope no one here would recognize them.

Oliver dampered his striking features with a bad brunette wig and brown colored eye contacts. His clothes showed his status to be there while Felicity looked more like the nerdy assistant.

She wore a soft navy blue pantsuit that looked as if it was bought at a department store and not luxury. Her blonde hair was pinned up into a long dark wig and thick black frames rounded her face.

This was a business party. Felicity made her rounds with Oliver he was supposed to be some computer science nerd who develops black op software. She had to almost laugh at the irony.

Oliver handed her a drink and she gladly accepted they were in position now and just had to wait for the unveiling. Record the details and leave, fast.

"You still seemed rattled from earlier…" the comment bothered Felicity more than what it should've.

"I'm fine." She made it more convincing this time that Oliver let it go. They started pointing out guests and laughing at some of the attire. They weren't the worst dressed. All had been invited to see what Malcolm Merlyn would unveil.

"I wonder if they told Tommy yet…" Oliver drifted, but before she could answer the lights dramatically dimmed in the room.

They rose not long after to spotlight a large object that was covered with a black cloth.

Felicity knew that a weapon this size meant that damage would occur.

"Ladies and gentleman! Welcome! Welcome! If you don't speak English, well that's too bad!" Oliver's breath hitched at the sight of Malcolm. It had been a long time since he'd been in the same room as his childhood best friend's father. He seemed neurotic with his words, not like the man he remembered. Perhaps he'd gone mad. That would be some comfort to Tommy and not his father being sane and doing this.

"Today I present you with a pretty little thing I had made...it will help the greater good. Rid us of waste. Erase land to rebuild! We will make our peace. It will start with The Undertaking." The cover lifted off the device. Felicity's eyes went wide. She pulled at Oliver's arm wanting to drag them both out of there and out of this city as fast as possible.

This thing was catastrophic.

* * *

"Felicity what is it!" Sara yelled at her as they waited to connect to the secure line to the agency.

Felicity was ravishly typing on her computer double checking everything.

"Director Michaels, team what do we have?"

"A device called The Undertaking. He said something about the greater good, getting rid of waste, and rebuilding." Oliver answered, but looked to Felicity to finish as soon as his last word was out.

"Michaels, with what I saw and what I know and referenced. It looks to me as some sort of seismic device. With what Merlyn said it would make sense. 'Erase land to rebuild.' The size of that particular device could level a city, it could level Corto Maltese. I don't feel that we should stick around and find out."

The team looked at her wide eyed, now understanding why she was so frantic.

"What proof do you have Smoak?" Michaels questioned.

"It looks like Unidac Industries was studying and or inquiring about seismic frequencies. I'd say it's conscience, but considering their location and Malcolm's previous affiliations with Merlyn Global...I'd be able to research it more at the agency."

They heard her sigh before ordering them back.

* * *

"You're telling me that my father is now considered a terrorist for The Depot and no one in the entire agency has felt like mentioning this to me till now?"

Michaels nodded at Oliver to continue explaining as much as he could. No one told Tommy the whereabouts of his father. The man was in shock at the status his father currently held.

Felicity sat furthest away from the two men. She didn't want to be in this room, but Michaels wanted her there for the technical stuff. She now watched another man she knew get that rage in their eyes caused by The Depot.

"He's with Damien Darhk and China White. We are trying to pull all the pieces together, but the leader remains a mystery. The device that we saw in Corto Maltese is believed to cause catastrophic damage."

"And he created it?" Tommy questioned.

"The current hypothesis is that it's a seismic device. Agents Allen, Ramon, and I cross referenced projects that Unidac Industries was working on. They've been inquiring about seismic activity and such...since your father was a major figure here with Merlyn Global, we don't think it's conscience." Felicity explained.

"Fuck," Tommy muttered under his breath.

* * *

"How was Tommy in the field with you?" Oliver stormed into Felicity's office.

"Geez Oliver, how about you knock next time?" She spat.

He shut the door softer than his entrance, "It's only fair. Seriously, Smoak I need your honest opinion."

She took a deep breath, "He was shaken, but said Michaels threatened him. Competent enough to go through with the mission and complete it. I didn't have a problem. I was worried because it was someone new to be working with. You know with my ass on the line and all and life and death and all that fun stuff. I thought he was fine. Shouldn't you already have hashed this out with him?"

Oliver rolled his eyes seeming satisfied with that answer, until he leaned against the back of her door dropping his head back. "They're sending him on the mission with us to try and locate and extract the bioweapon."

He said it so softly she feared she'd heard wrong, but when he looked at her she saw the concern and worry all over his face. "Who else is going?"

"Six of us. Helena, Chase, Tommy, Sara, you and I." He massaged his temples.

She stood up from the desk chair she once sat in going to Oliver getting close, but not too close she looked at him.

"We aren't going to let anything happen to him. Do you understand?"

He nodded his head in agreement.


	11. Chapter 11

The tactical gear was heavy on Felicity's small frame, but she held her weight. Adrenaline coursed throughout her body as she held her gun close to her body. She felt Oliver's judgemental eyes on her as they headed into the bunker. She wondered if Tommy felt like the third wheel in the tension between her and Oliver.

Her, Oliver, and Tommy had made it the furthest to the bunker that was believed to hold Malcolm's bioweapon. Sara, Chase, and Helena were keeping watch till they got closer.

Much to her annoyance, Oliver was leading the operation. He used a tone with her earlier that she knew there was no way she could disagree with in front of the group. If it had been just the two of them she would've put him in his place.

Cisco said he counted eight guards over comms as they approached the bunker. Tommy shot the first guard quickly with a tranquilizer dart. Oliver and Felicity followed suit. They took down all the guards until Felicity was able to hack the door.

Once inside Oliver called for the others to join them. The bunker housed cases of guns and bullets as far as eye could see. Nothing looked like it housed a bioweapon. Felicity didn't feel good about this. The vibe of the place was resenating well with her.

Felicity yelled at Cisco to check the layout of the bunker again as she pulled out her own tablet. Oliver rolled his eyes at her, but Tommy and him kept cover for her. Sara, Helena, and Adrian came into sight looking just as concerned.

"Where is it?" Sara asked.

"Cisco!" Felicity yelled, "Why is this glitching?"

She placed her eyes on Oliver just as gunshots ran out causing them all to scatter.

Felicity ran the farthest with her tablet in some attempts to locate the bioweapon. She hoped that someone was close enough to it. They had a plan in place to eventually blow the side of the place to drag the bioweapon out. It wasn't the best plan, but neither was setting off the bioweapon. There was also a voice in her head that was screaming that this was a set up. She ignored it.

She placed her tablet safely back into her jacket and grabbed her gun.

"Cisco, which way?" She asked over the comms.

" _Overwatch, negative. The weapon isn't there! Go to your left, left twice more and right. Pull the fire alarm."_

"Copy" she replied.

" _Overwatch, you're going to have company!"_ Sara now yelled through the comms.

Sure enough she saw to armed men coming right at her. She fired back and took cover crouching behind one of the large boxes.

Another man fired at her in the opposite direction.

In slow motion she saw the dart come towards her. Moving as fast as possible she tried to dodge it. She thought she did until she felt the jab in her left leg. Her gun fell out of her hand before she could stop it. Unable to process at first she tried to reach for it until she just _couldn't._

How did something at her leg move so fast through her body to cause paralysis this fast? She was stuck. Unable to move, but to panic in her mind. One side of her was covered but the other was open. She couldn't move to safety. Everyone was spread out. She feared they'd end her.

Sadistically, Darhk would come out of the shadows and kill her for her stupidity. Perhaps, it would be Tommy's father as the final judgement.

She heard the chatter on the comms.

" _How many of these bastards are there!"_

" _Overwatch, do you copy?"_

" _AD is down! There's blood!"_

" _Arrow what's your status?"_

" _Overwatch do you copy? Overwatch…"_

To her dismay she heard footsteps. Hoping it was one of her fellow agents, she let out a small grunt at the sight of a ghost. She was going to die.

He pointed his weapon right at her. A straight head shot. At least this would be quick.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the ringing in her ears and not the gunshots that pierced through the room. This would all be over soon. She wanted to be at peace.

Suddenly, the ghost dropped barely missing her. She opened her eyes to Oliver's face in her line of sight.

"You've been hit with a paralysis toxicon. It will wear off soon, Chase is hit too. Look it's not safe we have to seperate to get out of here. I'm going to carry you, Felicity." His voice was rushed and laced with worry.

Shouldn't he be more concerned about Tommy or even Sara? Felicity couldn't fathom why this man was clinging to her lately, but in this moment she was grateful.

He gently picked her up. Her weight barely affecting Oliver as he pulled them both to a safer spot in the bunker.

Her throat burned. She ached to talk to ask what was next, why did he save her and so forth. She focused on trying to move a finger, just one finger to prove to herself that she was going to be okay.

An explosion occurred causing Oliver to bring Felicity into his chest more to protect her.

"That's our cue." Oliver said before he made a mad dash to one of the vehicles they had used to get here.

"Is she okay to make it to the safehouse?" Sara.

"She just got shot with the toxicon. I haven't seen any bullet wounds." He replied.

"Tommy and Helena are trying to work on Chase. We have to take him to the hospital."

"Come on we have to go!" Tommy yelled.

* * *

At some point Felicity must've fallen asleep in the truck. She was laid out on the backseat as Oliver drove. Reality hit her that she'd been paralyzed and breathed a sigh of relief when she was able to move and sit up.

"You're awake," Oliver glanced back in the rear view mirror at her.

"Where are we? What's going on?"

"Almost to the safe house. Chase got shot with the toxion and three bullet wounds. Tommy and Helena got him to the hospital. Sara is staying in Corto Maltese for surveillance since we put a giant hole in Malcolm's bunker. We have to stay off the coast in case we are needed. You need to rest from the toxion as well."

The road was bumpy as Oliver headed up a hill. She stayed quiet not really wanting to grasp the situation yet.

He pulled up to a small trailer like looking building. The agency was good at disguising their safe houses. There was always more than what meets the eye. This was a prime example.

Oliver helped her out of the truck, as her legs were still weak, and down the ladder in the floor of the trailer.

Once at the bottom he entered a code in a giant door that opened into a hallway with another door and code. A large living area welcomed them. There was a bathroom and closet to the right, kitchen offset in the back, and a couch and king size bed in the main room with a desk.

Oliver sat their bag they had brought down after securing the door to help Felicity to the couch.

"I'll grab us a fresh change of clothes." He spoke and came back with the appropriate clothing.

Not bothered, Felicity removed her bullet proof vest tossing it on the floor that was then followed by her shirt. Oliver started changing too removing his vest as well and boots.

The black t-shirt Felicity put on was oversized, but comforted her in this moment. She undid the laces on her boots and tried to lift them off but wasn't able to.

"Damn it," she cursed causing a now shirtless Oliver over to her.

He said nothing realizing her struggle as he carefully lifted her right foot removing her boot and repeating the same with the left. She studied him, knowing he felt her glare, but she didn't care she was more concerned with the bruising and marks that lined his chest. They looked fresh but not enough to be from today. She wasn't going to say anything until she noticed his rib taped.

"Oliver, when did you break a rib?"

He stopped immediately from placing her shoes in a place they wouldn't trip over them. He had forgot that his scars were now on display to her.

"It's just bruised. Do you need help standing to change your pants?" He was trying to change the subject.

"Just pulling the bottoms of them off and putting new ones on to pull up...you're deflecting."

He ignored her comment as he helped her out of the combat pants and into leggings. He didn't bother with his shirt now, he knew the questions were coming, so he sat next to her.

Her eyes watched him until he finally met hers, "A lot happened in Bratva and even before that. Michaels tends to put me in my place every now and then with her goons." His eyes dropped to his folded hands resting on his lap.

"What. No. She had no cause!" Felicity was surprised at her own outrage.

"I didn't disclose I was once associated with Merlyn's. It's fine."

She touched his hand, "No it isn't! After everything…"

"Stop." His tone was deadly as the veins throbbed in his neck. He got up pulling a shirt on. She heard him clatter through the alcohol that each safe house kept.

She fell asleep again and awoke this time to Tommy telling Oliver he'd see them soon.

His back was towards her as she got up on her legs that no longer gave out on her.

"Chase made it through. He'll be fine." Oliver's voice pierced the quiet room as she made her way to the small kitchen in search of food.

She said nothing as she rummaged through the cupboards and freezer. Finding a frozen meal she'd accept. His eyes watched her.

"Another day or so we are going to join Sara. The weapon wasn't in that bunker." Still no answer from Felicity. He figured snapping at her earlier caused this. He couldn't let anyone else in again. Let alone tell her about all his pain.

He needed to hear her voice to distract him from the silence. Before Tommy called his mind was directing him in a scary place. "Felicity, are you okay?"

His voice was soft. She sensed the concern. "I'm fine, Oliver" she snapped just as the microwave went off that her food was done. She placed it on the counter when Oliver approached her.

"Look I'm not the best at sharing. The silence is eating me. What's on your mind?" Being honest was his approach to the blonde before him.

"Nothing," she replied now stirring her food that was way too hot to eat to get out of this conversation. She went to head for the desk when he stopped her.

His hand on her wrist with a firm grip. She wasn't worried as part of her trusted him.

"Felicity," he practically spelled out her name as she turned to him.

She'd seen a look in his eyes that she never seen before. Timing was passing as they stood practically staring into each others souls.

"Oliver," she replied finally, with a shaky voice.

The woman before him was strong and beautiful. Standing her ground before him as his alcohol filled mind went somewhere he didn't expect. He didn't think. Instead he acted on it by slowly removing his hand from her wrist and now placing it to her cheek. She didn't stop him. Her eyes glowed with wonder. He moved in closer to her so that they were now chest to chest. In one swift motion Oliver looked at her lips, then to her eyes, then moved in on her lips softly kissing her.

Confusion struck her. At first she didn't kiss back. There was something in that moment that was intoxicating about him. As he began to pull away she pulled him back. One hand around his neck and the other around his waist. She didn't know what overcame her but in this moment she wanted more.

Their lips met once again with more force. His arms pulled her closer. Both at her waist as hers traveled down his chest. Their lips fought back and forth until Oliver pulled away.

He cupped her face as they stared at each other. Quickly dropping his arm he backed away from her afraid he had gone too far.

"What was that for?"

"Sorry," they both blurted out at the same time. He scratched the back of his neck as Felicity played with her now edible food.

"I was drinking and…"

"So you're saying the only reason you kissed me is because you're drunk, Oliver?" Felicity was offended.

"No. No...not at all." He sighed.

"How are you going to tell Sara?"

"This isn't about Sara. We aren't together. We haven't been for awhile."

"So then you're lonely and you took the opportunity?" She took a bite of her food.

"It's complicated."

"You're an ass, Oliver Queen." She grabbed her food walked over to the desk. That was as far as she could get from him. It would have to do.

* * *

Oliver slept on the couch as Felicity slept in the very large bed alone.

As usual, she tossed and turned. Her mind reeling from the mission and Oliver. She kissed him back. She had only been hit with the toxion and not bullet wounds. Was he relieved or just using her? She settled with the latter as she felt herself drift back into sleep.

She was defeated two hours later when she awoke yet again. Instead of letting her mind race again she decided to go see what she could track down about the bioweapon.

The desk was up against the wall leaving the light from the computer to shine directly at Oliver's sleeping form on the couch. She contemplated turning it so that he wouldn't be disturbed, but decided not to care. If he had kissed her because he was drunk meaning he'd likely be hungover...the light would be her form of revenge.

Hours later she heard Oliver stir. She kept at her computer hitting dead end after dead end.

"Felicity." That was his warning before he came to her completely enwrapping her in another kiss. This one felt more meaningful. Like he thought about why he kissed her and wanted to do it again. Felicity went with it, not willing to admit that she liked it. She liked the way his solid form fit against her and the weight of his lips on hers.

Once again the man pulled away far too soon for Felicity's liking.

"I'm completely sober now and I still wanted to kiss you."

"You're still an ass." She turned her body now to face him at the side of her.

"I know. Are you okay today?"

She tilted her head, "Quit deflecting the obvious."

"There's something about you. Behind the exterior I came to hate. I just was so concerned yesterday when you were shot with the paralysis dart. I don't know what this is Felicity, but I just had to kiss you."

She wasn't going to question him further and make things even more awkward in their confinement. "I feel not as weak. A little sore from falling while losing control of my body but I'm fine. Are you okay? I feel like that's something I should've asked with the whole you and Tommy on a mission to get his father's bioweapon thing…"

He smiled at her, "I've been through worst."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hello! Hope everyone is having a great holiday! Please leave me a comment when you're done reading this chapter. Big things coming up!

* * *

"So he kissed you, but he hates you, but he was concerned? That's not the Oliver Queen I knew." Tommy laughed as Felicity shushed him. She felt like she was sixteen and gossiping about the boy she has a crush on.

"I'm only confiding in you because it's Oliver. He's a literal rock that's slowly been breaking down after his second time with Bratva." She said seriously.

"I could've told him Sara would've never worked. He needs someone less controlling."

The two were at a local coffee place. Tucked in the back enough where they didn't have to be so careful with what they said.

It had been a week since the bunker disaster. Chase was out of the hospital. Everyone made it back to Starling in one piece.

Oliver and Sara were sent on another mission to get an angle on Merlyn more.

In a twist of events Tommy had asked Felicity out for coffee just to get to know her.

"He hasn't mentioned it to me, but then again we aren't fifteen and a lot has changed. Do you like him?"

She practically choked on her cup of coffee, "Come again?"

Tommy chuckled at the blonde before him. "You kissed him back!"

She rolled her eyes, "God, you're the worst new friend ever," they both laughed.

He stared at her to continue. "No. I don't like him."

"Such a shame." He shook his head and sipped his coffee as Felicity stared at him with an open mouth.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes until Tommy opened his mouth again.

"What if you both hate each other because you like each other. That would make total sense!"

"Tommy, you're aware of my skills and I don't mean to threaten you, but if you say that again…"

"Okay! It's touchy. I get it."

She gives him the look causing him to shut up finally. As they finish their coffee she kept reciting 'I hate Oliver Queen' in her head until she lost count.

* * *

The pounding knocks on her door startled her from her sleep. Her laptop along with files were strewn across the foot of the couch. Once again Felicity had fallen asleep on the couch. She grabbed her phone to look at the time 4:00am. Who would be pounding at the door?

It started again. Worried, she grabbed one of her guns out from the side table and approached the door.

Looking through the peephole she saw a very messed up looking Oliver. Quickly, she unlocked the door as he barely was able to stay upright to bring himself in. She backed away to let him pass not exactly taking in what was happening yet. She removed the safety from the gun as she went in the hallway. Seeing the coast was clear and Oliver didn't leave a bloody mess down the hall, she returned to her apartment. She locked the door and put the safety back on.

Oliver had taken his shoes off and managed to locate her bathroom. She found him slumped to the floor barely staying conscious.

Kneeling before him, "Oliver, what in the hell happened?"

He grunted before carefully peeling up his t-shirt, "Bratva," a stab wound marked his left side.

Felicity said nothing else but ran to her supply closet for this type of thing. First she grabbed as much gauze as possible to put on the wound. Next was scissors, gloves, a vial of hydromorphone, syringe, and a couple other items as she rushed back to Oliver.

He was still conscience as she placed the gauze on the wound.

"How much blood have you lost?"

"Not that much..."

"You're lying." She accused trying to get a better look at the wound by cutting his shirt.

"I can't. I can't go anywhere, Felicity. I did this for Bratva here and no one can no about it there can't be a record. I trust you. Please." His eyes were desperate as they stared into hers. She shouldn't be doing this. She knew she should tell the agency or someone to come here and help.

"Is there anyone I can call?"

"No."

Against her better judgement she continued. Her hands shook as she grabbed the vial of hydromorphone and syringe. Felicity knew better than to tell him what she was doing as he deny the pain medicine. She stuck him quickly.

"You'll feel somewhat better soon. I'm going to cut you out of this shirt alright?" He nodded too far gone to care.

Once she was sure the medication had kicked in it was time for the worst part. She stuck her hand in the wound feeling around for any internal damage. If there was he would have to go to the hospital and this was the last thing she wanted to explain to 911 right now. Thankfully, it was just a deep flesh wound. Something she could take care of. She cleaned it and began to carefully stitch him up as she kept track of his pulse every now and then. He needed blood though. She feared he'd lost too much dragging himself to her apartment.

"Hey Oliver?" she spoke loudly causing him to jolt up.

"Yeah…"

"What's your blood type?"

"Felicity I can't...they'll…" she stopped him, "Oliver, I know a guy. What's your damn blood type? I'm not letting you die on my bathroom floor because you are being stubborn."

"O positive."

"I'll be right back."

Thirty minutes later Felicity had successfully not let Oliver die on her bathroom floor. Barry had come to give her blood and a change of men's clothes no questions asked which she was grateful for.

Once Oliver received the blood she instantly saw his complexion get warmer. She breathed a sigh of relief and almost had to laugh at the sight before her.

Oliver lied on the floor on his back as she had a towel propped under his head. A blood bag and bloody gauze all around. She didn't care about the mess. He was alive.

An hour past and Oliver was practically himself again besides the stab wound. He had changed and Felicity had given him water and crackers to eat.

She helped him to the couch before cleaning the bathroom up. When she returned he was putting his one shoe on.

"What are you doing?" she crossed her arms over her chest as if she was about to scold a small child.

"Leaving."

She came to stop his actions and sat on the coffee table in front of him. "This isn't a patch up and go shop, Oliver. Take your shoes off you're staying here."

"Felicity…"

"I did not just literally save your ass for you to go out there and do who knows what just to bleed out or worst." Oliver knew there was no way she was letting him leave so he complied.

Felicity realized it was now early into Saturday morning. She was about to pry into Oliver since neither of them had work today.

"What happened out there?" She questioned while moving her files and laptop from the other side of the couch to join him.

"I was doing a mission here for Bratva. It went wrong and I got stabbed. That's all you need to know." He smartly retorted.

"So I don't have any reason to tell Michaels about this?" She dared.

If looks could kill the one Oliver was giving her right now would have her six feet under.

"I don't want you involved with this Bratva shit." His voice was lethal though Felicity wasn't threatened.

"You're forgetting that it's my doorstep you showed up on."

"Damn it! Why do you have to be like this! Why can't you just accept what I told you and move on!" He screamed.

She wasn't backing down, "Ever since you've been back it's like your soul, that part that was left, has been ripped from you. They're breaking you. Whether it's the CIA or Bratva, they know what they're doing. I'm not going to stick around for your damn pity party and whole attitude that you're just a weapon and not a person. You're wrong!"

He got up abruptly, hissing at the pain in his side, she followed now grabbing at his arm to stop him.

"Don't," she threatened. In that moment he stopped fighting with her and just let her deal with him.

"Can I sleep on the couch? I'm tired." He softly said as he watched the anger in her eyes dissipate.

"No, take my bed. I'll take the couch."

She let go but he reached back for her. "If your bed is big enough for two. You're coming. You look like hell. I don't want you to not sleep because of me."

She didn't want to argue so nodded as she led them to her room.

He was asleep by time she had properly changed and washed her face. She stood in her bedroom doorway and just watched him as the moonlight touched his frame. He was so vulnerable, again.

She contemplated going to sleep on the couch but decided against it. If something were to happen, like Oliver ripping his stitches and bleeding out, she was going to be next to him.

* * *

The smell of coffee pulled her out of her slumber. She groaned not wanting to know the time.

Reality hit her. Oliver had come to her with a stab wound last night.

She reached around the bed not feeling another warm body next to her. Slowly, she got up and grabbed her robe as she head to the kitchen.

There stood a shirtless Oliver Queen making what smelled like omelettes and coffee.

"What are you doing?" She asked. He turned to her looking like hell.

"Figured you deserved breakfast made for you after all you did for me last night. Coffee is done." He was nonchalant as if this was a normal thing for the two of them.

She fixed her coffee and him as well before the both sat and her couch with their food. An awkward silence was now filled with the sounds of the forks hitting the plates repeatedly.

Felicity cleaned up the plates and cups to place in the dishwasher before sitting back with Oliver.

"Can I change your bandage?" She asked seeing some discharge had come through the one he currently wore.

"I can do it. Just give me the bandage."

She wasn't going to argue even though when she came back she was totally changing it herself.

She sat on the coffee table her legs slightly in the middle of Oliver's as she leaned forward to start removing the old bandage.

"Felicity, I said…"

"Shut up."

He watched her intently as she carefully took the old bandage off, showed him the wound and then put the new bandage on.

Felicity exclaimed when she was done as she got up to throw away the trash before once again coming back to sit next to Oliver.

He took her by surprise when he kissed her cheek.

She turned to him, "What was that for?"

"A thank you for not letting me die."

"Well you came to one of the top rated facilities for Bratva secret injuries," she joked and he actually let out a small smile.

"They found out I killed our Pakhan."

He was blankly staring out at her wall. She turned her body completely towards him now to show she was giving him her full attention.

He continued, "The Pakhan and I were good friends. He helped me out when they first pulled me in. I was his right hand and with that hand I killed him, agency orders, to shake things up in their organization. It's an absolute mess now. The CIA has been able to collect more information than ever before. All because I killed my friend."

He remained quiet for a second. Felicity could almost see the inner turmoil raging through his head.

"They tried to kill me last night. I took out three of them, but the fourth one sliced me. I was trying to get an angle back in, since I covered up Pakhan's death, but they blame me. I should be dead a million times over, Felicity. I should've died on your bathroom floor. I should've died in Russia. I should've died with my parents on that boat."

She gently placed a hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him. The man she had hated for so long was opening up to her. Trusting her in a way she never asked for, but she wasn't going to stop it. After everything she herself had been through, if he was using her for comfort she didn't care. She felt needed and though she craved it in her professional life, the need for it in her personal was even more real.

She didn't want to be alone.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Hello! The New Year is upon us! Well, I've spent way too long trying to perfect this chapter, because well once you read it you'll know why. Feel free to come say hello to me on Tumblr - halyconfanfic_

* * *

Felicity had always been the one in control. The one with a plan set out for years.

Being in the CIA was at first to pay her student debt off. She promised herself she'd move on, but they had her sucked in. She'd got into college away from her single mother. Far away from Las Vegas. Now her job kept her away from there now. She didn't want to turn out like her mom, she loved her dearly, but waitressing and whatever else that woman did to get money was beyond Felicity. Her mom had guy after guy all charmed because of her looks and that was about it. Her mom's life was simple. Her life was supposed to be simple. Not secretly going from country to country doing a job that could get her killed. The Depot and Tommy's dad and China White, and then there was Oliver. He was a whole story on his own. She cursed herself many times for thinking about him, but just gave up. It was as if she was becoming his rock. The person he'd come to knowing that Felicity would make everything better. How did they go from hating each other to whatever this was?

She should stop this. Set everything straight. Tell him she won't be used like some random woman. Something was telling her she should push this as far as she could go. Did Oliver Queen have a breaking point with her? Would he snap and ravish her if she pushed? Would he continue to care?

* * *

"I thought you already decoded what I brought back from Bratva?" Oliver questioned Felicity as she was buried in her laptop on the small plane.

"You're seriously questioning me about the mission after you're already on the plane?"

"It's got the name Bratva attached to it…"

She shut the laptop softly looking up at him in the seat across from her.

"They used a special encryptor. Cisco thought he could eventually recreate it, but he hit too many dead ends for Michaels liking, so we are just going to take one ourselves."

"They'll know that someone came for the decoder. Did you both take that into account?"

She rolled her eyes, "Did you not read the op or just planned on going rogue and not telling me?"

"I'm Bratva. I should be collecting this," his voice shifted having a certain feel that he was now 'Bratva Oliver' taking to her.

"They'll figure out you're a sell out and chop your head off. No. My plan or I will knock you out, steal the decoder and drag your ass back to the agency before you even bat an eyelash." She let out an annoyed breath and reopened her laptop.

He got up closing the distance between them as he smash his lips to her. She didn't react at first, but the second he pulled away and came back softer she reacted. His hands entangled in her hair. For this moment she was grateful that besides the pilot and co-pilot no one else was here.

Their kiss got more heated until the pilot announced they'd me landing soon and to strap in. Oliver groaned.

* * *

Felicity began getting ready for the op in the bedroom of the hotel suite as Oliver was in the living room.

She decided to wear a daring outfit. In attempts to toy with Oliver and whatever was going on between them. Also, it would help her get into this party easier. The whole two birds one stone thing was applying here, or so she hoped.

Her makeup was extra dark as well. She was striking if she said so herself.

Exiting the room she saw Oliver checking the blueprints for the building.

"Doubting my op again, Queen?"

His back was still turned towards her, "I think you should go up the south elevator and not the north. The guards are going to be at the one more than the other since the party is so near."

"You missed the part where I plan on drunkenly stumbling on it and knocking the guards out." She stood closer to him toying with her tablet.

"I'm trying not to get you shot." He turned to her and she swore he swallowed hard at the sight of her. This might be too easy, but then again he was a red blooded male.

"I'm a big girl." She replied smug not letting his reaction bother her. "You're my ride out so the second I have the decoder and hard drive…"

"I'll be there." He answered sternly.

* * *

She had stolen the decoder and the hard drive with information on it. There was no time to celebrate as the smile on her face quickly faltered.

Cisco warned her of two men coming down the hallway over comms. She chose to do the dauntless thing and sprint out the door of the room and down the hallway. They shouted at her in German as she quickened her pace.

The bag was securely attached to her body with the stolen goods tucked inside. She saw the black hair of her wing in her side vision. The long mane got in her way as she turned her head to search for security. She had lost them for now, but the alarms had been activated. The beeping and pounding of her heart radiated throughout her skull as she pushed forward.

She ran down the nearest staircase when a security guard popped out at her. She easily kicked at his knee caps as he swiftly fell down buying her a few seconds ahead of being captured. She thanked herself for not falling this time and not making that mistake twice. Gunshots rang out at her next and the elevator in front of her was the only option of escape she ran to it even faster.

Once inside she slid over to avoid gunshots and to the panel to close the doors before picking a random floor number. She shot out the security camera with her own gun; not having time for fancy tech.

Hoisting her body up she pushed up on the ceiling of the elevator till she found the escape tile. Thank god she didn't skimp on arm days, as they were the only thing getting her this far. As she was atop the elevator car she shot out to the wall with a hook that had a rope attached to it. Cursing at herself she now had to drop down 30 floors to ground level.

As soon as she made it another guard was in her tracks. Taking the butt of the gun she hit him hard in the face. There was no time to waste. As she exploded out of the doors Oliver was awaiting her on the Ducati and they sped into the night.

* * *

Felicity pulled the wig off not even two minutes after entering the safe house. She took the pins and braids that were left in it out as her blonde wavy hair was freed.

Oliver was tussling in the bedroom with something. She secured the decoder and hard drive into the safe.

He came out of the bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks.

Felicity was still in her boots, fishnet stockings, and long leather jacket that revealed the black bodysuit she had on underneath.

Her red lips touched the glass of wine she already poured herself. She needed it after that exit from the mission.

Oliver was about to lose all self control.

He promptly walked over to her. His hands encasing both sides of her face as she sat the glass down. He took her lips. First was slow and then the fever built between them.

She didn't know what came over her, but she liked this new found intimacy with Oliver. She was willing to take it further and was going to test out the waters. Sliding her jacket off, his hands immediately grasped at her sides causing a soft moan to spew out of her throat at his touch.

Their kiss had turned frenzied. Needing as much of each other as they could possibly get. He pulled away first. Felicity smiled in satisfaction at her lipstick smeared on his face.

His pupils were blown. The blue almost completely encased by the dilation.

"Felicity, do you want me to stop?" His voice was rough.

"Do you want to stop?" She retorted. He had snapped. She felt bold.

Their hungry gazes spoke more than their words. Felicity knew Oliver would need to hear her say to continue. He could be a gentleman at times and she knew this was one of those times.

His hands skimmed up and down her sides.

"Sit," she commanded towards to couch.

The second he was down she was on his lap. Leaning into his ear she whispered, "Don't stop," she bit his ear for added effect as a husky moan rattled from him.

His breathing was uneven as he pulled his t-shirt off. Pulling Felicity close his lips danced across what skin was exposed at the top of her chest and neck. He had her moaning at the sensation.

Skillfully, Felicity took off her boots and began to run her hands down Oliver's bare scarred chest. The muscles tensed at her touch. She wondered if he was uneasy about being so vulnerable with his scars.

That question was erased from her mind when his lips forcefully attacked hers as he toyed with the straps of her bodysuit. She wasn't willing to take it off just yet.

She felt like some sort of prostitute in the get up she was in, but it also empowered her to be touching Oliver Queen like this.

He suddenly stood up firmly holding onto Felicity. Once her shorter frame touched the floor her hands wrapped around Oliver's back as she ran her nails up and down it. He picked her back up emitting a squeal from her and a chuckle from him as he took her to the bedroom.

Felicity realized that he was properly going to do this, making her feel less like a prostitute. Not that the outfit made her one, but she once was a Las Vegas girl.

He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. She was so turned on and in deep need of release.

They stood close to each other, but with enough difference to leave Felicity wondering what the next move was.

He began taking his pants off. She could see an impressive looking erection trying to poke through his underwear. He touched himself causing her to drool over how much she wanted him in that moment. Her hormones were beginning to go into overdrive.

She bit her lip as she pulled off the top of her bodysuit revealing her breasts. She didn't look at Oliver's expression until the suit was off leaving her in nothing but the fishnets on her bare ass.

Oliver took the liberty of freeing himself as they both stood before each other almost completely naked.

He grabbed at her hips and began to pull down the fishnets until she was kicking them off. His hands travelled up and down her legs as he began to pepper them with kisses. He was rough and gentle all at once.

She scratched her nails through his scalp causing moans to come from him.

Thoughts crept in her mind of how she shouldn't be doing this as Oliver's lips got closer to her core.

She was set a fire more the second his tongue reached her clit. Her knees were becoming weak, and Oliver realizing this picked her up and placed them both on the bed.

He hovered over her now attacking her neck. She went to stroke his length. He cursed at the sensation causing a primal feeling through Felicity as she kept at it. They pressed into each others' bodies as hard as they could.

He sucked at her pulse point until their were chills all over her body. She pulled him back to her swollen lips feverishly kissing him.

He toyed with her folds sliding his finger over her clit every now and then before feeling just how wet she was.

He pulled away leaving a groan escape from Felicity's lips. She realized he was grabbing a condom.

In this moment everything that she thought she hated about him disappeared. Suddenly, the vulnerable moments she had shared with him outweighed the hate. Her body would protest if she stopped this. She didn't want to stop this. She wanted _him._

He hovered over her now fully protected. They stared into each other's dilated pupils.

"Felicity, are you sure?" He softly spoke. She could hear the shakiness in his voice that he was about to lose all control as well.

"Yes."

He slowly entered her as they both emitted moans. He filled her completely. She was so full. Looking at her to move she nodded.

Felicity couldn't contain the moans coming from her mouth at how good he felt moving inside of her. He was hitting _that_ spot.

Oliver pulled out after awhile making her roll over to give them a new angle. Once she was face down he entered her again as Felicity practically screamed at the sensation from the new angle.

He was thrusting harder now. Frenzied to finish as he towered over Felicity's back kissing and licking his way up to her lips again.

Felicity's body was on fire and she wondered if Oliver shared the same feeling. She was so close as he pushed as far and hard as he could.

Her back arched up as her climax came seconds later Oliver followed. The sounds that came out of his mouth were beautiful.

He laid atop of her for a few minutes, not putting all his weight, but enough that she felt him. They groaned when he slid out of her. She heard him leave the room. Probably headed for the bathroom.

She couldn't believe that had actually happened. She didn't push very much. Meaning he wanted this or he was too horny to care. Was she stupid for having sex with Oliver? Maybe, but the way her body felt now said otherwise. The way he satisfied her. She couldn't get it out of her head. She rolled around to kick any clothes off the bed and pull herself into the covers. She was exhausted and forced herself to stop thinking about it. The deed was done. He came back and joined her in the covers as if this was a normal thing between the two.

Oliver laid opposite of her as if he was too scared to touch her now. She reached her hand over to his chest as he brought it to his heart. She felt the steady but quick beat and a laugh escaped her. He looked at her as if she was insane.

"I still hate you." She muttered with a smile.

"Don't ruin it, Smoak." His eyes closed and she didn't want to press this any further. Right now she was content and tired.

* * *

"Shit!" Felicity exclaimed in her office. It had taken her three hours to get the decoder to work.

What she uncovered asked more questions than answers but she didn't ponder too long before calling Michaels over.

"There's a long list of poisons and things tied to The Depot. Send this to the private server and I'll contact Langley for action." Michaels said before storming out of her office.

Felicity was left to sit there and read as much more as she could before Michaels had this erased from her computer.

The words that set her off played over and over in her head as she stared at her computer screen that was erasing everything she'd work to uncover.

 _Mind control. Mind control. Mind control._


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I'd like to thank Google Translate. That is all. Enjoy the chapter ;)

* * *

It was early in the morning when Felicity forced herself to leave her office finally. Well, she had convinced herself, but the whole action of getting up and moving was proving to be difficult. She kept staring off into the distance. Thinking that she may have just saw what the Bratva had on The Depot and possibly knew their intentions and Michaels took it all away from her, and maybe that shouldn't have been a thing? Maybe she should have lurked around on it collecting enough information that she could figure things out on her own research.

A warm grip on her shoulder brought her back to reality and she turned in her chair. Oliver.

She looked at him with a blank face.

The slept together, but had no responsibilities towards each other, so what the hell was he doing? Did he want more? Was he waiting for her to leave?

"Are you okay? You've been staring off into nothing for the past twenty minutes." His hand moved from her shoulder as he now stood over her chair. She abruptly got up making a face at him as she began shuffling about her papers and stuff she needed to put into her bag to go home. She just needed to go _home._ She could have a bubble bath and tea and something to make her forget that The Depot and Bratva were possibly doing some mind control shit. She didn't need whatever Oliver's shit was right now.

He stopped her hands again and spoke softly, "You know what was on those files, don't you?" It sounded more like a statement then a question. He was so close to her and was still touching her hands softer now. Does he think he has some power over her now? He never would be this personal with her at work, but then again it was two in the morning. What was he even still doing here?

He pulled her head up to look at him. His blue eyes filled with concern. "Felicity, what is it?"

Her mouth parted to tell him everything, but she stopped herself. She was going to tell him the half truth, "Michaels took it off of me. Made me put it on a server to Langley and delete it all from my computer. I have pretty high security clearance...she took it all because there's something she doesn't want known."

He frowned as he removed his hands from her face. He stepped away from Felicity rubbing his hands over his face. "Did you see anything on it?"

She focused on packing her bag and shutting anything off that didn't need to be left on. Refusing to answer him. Knowing he knew she knew something.

"Protivozachatochnaya vaktsina," he spoke in thick Russian.

She nodded agreeing with what he had said. _Mind control vaccine._

"Are you hungry?" he asked. It was such a bizarre thing for him to change the subject to that.

"I uh, just kind of want to go home and never think of anything again…"

He drove her home and she must've fallen asleep at some point because she woke up to being placed on her bed. She saw his shadow go into her bathroom as she forced herself to sit up and remove herself from her dress clothes.

She was in her MIT sweatshirt and shorts when he returned with a warm cloth. He approached her and began gently wiping her face free of makeup. She couldn't believe this was Oliver Queen before her being so gentle and kind.

No words were spoken as she let him tuck her into bed. He was not going to press the decoder situation further, which she was grateful for. Now her thoughts were to what one would do with this mind control vaccine. When he began to leave that's when she stopped him.

"Oliver…"

He turned to her looking at her to continue.

"Can you stay...not that I want to sleep together, even though we did _that_ , but just next to me if you want...I...I don't know how to feel right now, but if it's an inconvenience you can go and I can shut up." God, Felicity, could you be anymore pathetic? She was scared to be alone, but she just wasn't going to admit that to him.

He had left the room. For a second Felicity thought it was to confirm that she was an idiot with her words and he'd left but he'd returned after shutting her lights out. He removed his shoes, dress pants, jacket, tie, and shirt. She watched with fascination as he crawled into the bed with her in nothing but his boxers. Did he seek comfort from her too? Or was she just another toy?

Taking her by surprise he pulled her into his chest and she complied.

"You make me feel safe too you know." He said softly that she almost didn't believe her ears. How did he know she felt that way? Her hand moved up from her side to his neck. Her way of letting him know she heard the confession. "There's a lot of evil out there Felicity and when I'm with you, you've become some kind of light that I'm attracted to. A light that I feel like can pull me out of the evil, the darkness, whatever I'm in. When I'm with you I have a soul again."

She didn't know what to say. Instead she softly kissed his collarbone. She didn't know if she could open up to him like that. He just told her words she never imagined hearing from him. Perhaps after all she wasn't a toy.

"Oliver…"

He pulled her head into his chest now, "You don't have to say anything. Just get some rest."

* * *

"Felicity Smoak." Tommy was in her office first thing. He shut the door and looked at her like he was about to rip her head off.

"What's your problem?"

"Oliver and you. He's not the man you think."

She laughed, "You don't know him anymore."

"And you do?" he challenged, "I read his files. The ones you don't even have access to. The people he's killed the things he's done for Bratva...Felicity."

She stood up in his face, "I've killed. You've killed we've all killed and had reason for doing so. You don't get to stand here and suddenly tell me Oliver isn't who I think. You should be way more concerned about your own damn father. You're a nice guy, Tommy, a friend, but do not ever tell me what I should think of someone!"

Tommy laughed, "Wow he's got you. I saw you two the other night. I was still here. He's so concerned. He took you home and fucked you didn't he? He's manipulative. He's dangerous. My father may have done terrible things, but Oliver has done terrible things that are a whole other level."

He stormed out of her office leaving her speechless and even more confused than ever.

She wanted to hit something or someone, bad.

* * *

The laces on her shoes were probably too tight, but in her current state of mind she didn't care.

She was upset. Upset at Tommy mostly, but the realization that he had insulted whatever was between her and Oliver. That infuriated her.

She stepped into the very testosterone full CIA gym.

Adrian, Barry, Oliver, and others were in there. Her plan was some cardio on the treadmill and then punching the shit out of a bag before she left.

She picked a treadmill far away and out of sight from the guys. She just couldn't have that distraction especially since Oliver was there.

Not one of them bothered her which she was grateful for. Until she went to the punching bag. Tommy stood there.

"I think I need this bag more then you do, Merlyn." She spat at him.

He grimaced coming at her fast and she blocked his attack.

"Why don't you just use me as your punching bag since I'm the one that's got you fuming." He went to punch her and she surprised him by ducking and kneeing him in the ribs. It was hard and he dropped to the floor. Oliver and Barry came over now at the commotion.

"Felicity, why are you beating Tommy to a pulp?"

She turned back to an inquisitive looking Oliver before answering Barry.

"Because he's an ass."

* * *

She was home for an hour before a knock rang through her door. Her hair was wet from the shower she had took and she had a robe over her tank and shorts. If this was someone with an intent to harm her she was not in the mood. Setting the popcorn bowl down she headed to the door opening it to reveal Oliver.

"May I come in?" He asked politely which ticked off Felicity more. She wasn't in the mood for anyone.

"No," she went to slam the door in his face, but he caught it and came in anyway. She walked over back to her couch and he came sitting on the armrest.

Silence took over before he broke it.

"I finished Tommy for you." There was a half smile dancing on his mouth. So he was going to be playful. Not tonight.

"That's nice, Oliver. Just what I wanted." She angrily shoved popcorn in her mouth and began dramatically chewing it.

"What's your problem?" His eyes pierced hers.

"You men thinking that you can claim me, sway me, tell me how I should feel and what I should do. You know Oliver, I've been so vulnerable with you, which is my mistake, but you're a philanderer. You can't expect me to believe you care an ounce about me. I was pissed at Tommy, because I realized he's right about you. So you've fucked me. That clearly was the end goal and you're not getting anymore from me; so you can quit showing up at my damn place!"

He dropped from the armrest to sit next to her. She sat criss crossed, but her body turned to his. His hand came to rest on the side of her cheek and she wanted to swat it away, but held control of herself.

"I meant it. You're a light. I'm a moth attracted to your flame. Don't you dare say that I don't care about you because nothing on this earth could be more wrong."

She just looked at him. Trying to read his face and his movements anything to set off that this was a lie, but he continued.

"I've done some very morbid things. There's been so much darkness surrounding me. When I came back from Bratva and you found me in my office, I felt relief. I felt like I could count on you. When I took you out of that bunker, I was so scared you'd been hit with something worse. In that moment I realized that I cannot live without myself if I don't open up to you. I've got a terrible way of doing it Felicity. I care for you. I will protect you at all costs. You just have to trust me."

He leaned in to kiss her as to confirm his words. He hesitated just incase she refused, but she didn't.

How could she refuse him now?

The kiss was soft and tender.

"What is this then, Oliver?"

"You're mine."

It was a claim. Not a question and she nodded her head agreeing to it. She was his.

* * *

They'd fallen asleep together on the couch after talking for hours. They tossed questions back and forth. Both telling each other things know one else knew. The trust was building.

She learned about the first time he killed and she shared with him the first time she killed.

Their past relationships; she even told him of the ex in Spain. He talked about the women that he used for most of his life. He learned to appreciate women more once he was through with Bratva. They had abused women in ways that Felicity never imagined. Oliver was filled with regret over the things he was forced to do. He had to survive though and she understood that.

They gently went into their family lives. Both proved to be a hard subject in which they completely switched topics. She was dying to ask him that one question, "Oliver, why did you hate me?"

His face was blank as he looked at her, not showing any signs of thought or that he was going to answer her. She went silent knowing that this might be the end of the conversation for the night. She decided to close her eyes.

"Kapiushon."

The hood? Why was he talking about a hood in Russian?

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks.

One of her proudest moments was taking down a Russian thug named 'Kapiushon' whoever this person was she literally handed them over to the American government on a silver platter. All the bank information. All the travel information. She was fresh into the agency and had cracked into sealed information no one else could. It never crossed her mind and now that she thought about it, after not hearing that name for years, it made sense Oliver was Kapiushon. She had put the death sentence on his head. She had made him choose between life or death. Double agent or traitor.

Oliver's eyes were blank when she stared back into them as hers swirled with emotion realizing what she had done. She'd hate herself too.

"You were _that_." She tried to make it come out softly, but there was no use.

"I am him. I'm still him. He still lives inside me, Felicity." A darkness surrounded Oliver's eyes then silence.

"I hated you because you destroyed everything I built and my reputation. You lit me on fire at the stake."

She interrupted, "I was doing my job. I'm sorry," she shouldn't apologize about this but she had to.

"I got to know you. I'd like to think if given the chance again you wouldn't take it. Not if they gave you all the facts which they didn't before."

"Oliver…"

"You don't have to apologize, Felicity. I'm the one that's sorry for being such an ass when I knew that someone could take me down. I was messy. You're incredibly smart. It's over. I've accepted everything. Does that answer your question?"

Her answer was her curling into his chest as if trying to absorb some of the pain she brought this man.

He'd gotten a call that abruptly woke them both. He scrambled out of her apartment quickly telling her he'd see her at work the next morning.

She thought nothing of it till she sat at her desk after being engrossed in her computer realizing it was past noon and he hadn't shown to work.

She had hacked into the log to see if he clocked in this morning. He hadn't.

Maybe he didn't make it here or they sent him somewhere.

 _Bratva_. As soon as the word entered her brain she knew it was something was them. That's why he was so short of words. That was one thing he didn't go into detail about. And after last night, was it conscience or not?

She couldn't fret it had been only a few hours and he was more than capable of taking care of himself. He was hers now though. She had every right to worry.

Tommy entered her office later on in the day. She could tell he was walking on eggshells around her. She turned to him giving a smile.

"Sorry about the other day." She quickly said.

"Me too, but Oliver was supposed to be here at a meeting and never showed. Cisco can't track him… I was going to go over his apartment and was wondering if you'd accompany me before we put out the whole MIA agent alert thing?"

Shit. Something was wrong. Or he could be fine at his apartment or bleeding out…

* * *

In the passenger seat of Tommy's car she realized she'd never been to Oliver's. She knew where he lived because well it was important information incase she was ever bleeding and needed help…

She discovered Tommy also lived in this building and the reason he brought Felicity was because of the high tech lock on each apartment door.

"What the hell kind of fortress is this? When you said we'd have to pick a lock I thought you meant with a bobby pin not my damn tablet!" She whisper yelled as they walked down Oliver's floor to the apartment.

"It's an extremely secure upscale apartment complex. I'm going to go in first with my gun after you open the door."

"Aw how sweet to take a bullet for me," she said sarcastically as they reached Oliver's door.

"I have my own gun on me, Tommy. This isn't my first day breaking into a place where bad guys can be on the other side of the door." She hated being underestimated.

He rolled his eyes at her and she smiled. Focusing on the door lock she realized that it was pretty secure. She'd have to do this fast before security came up to question them. The door unlocked in a minute.

Tommy walked in first with his hand reaching for his gun as Felicity followed him doing the same.

Ransacked. That was a good word to describe the place. She knew Oliver was a pretty well organized man. Something happened here.

They split up as she went left towards what appeared to be his bedroom. Drawers were opened and emptied. Articles of clothes littered the floor. There were knife marks in the walls and other random places. Signs of a struggle were painted all over the room.

She entered the bathroom that was attached to see the door had been kicked in. She turned the light on and screamed.


	15. Chapter 15

Felicity calmed herself at the sight. Hearing Tommy running across the apartment she breathed a sigh of relief.

A dead body soaking in its own blood was in the tub. She knew the man was dead, but pointed her gun at him anyway. Tommy approached carefully at the scene before him.

"Shit," he checked Felicity to see if she was okay and when she nodded he continued, "my side was clean."

"Looks like there was a struggle in the bedroom and it ended in here." She walked around the rest of the bathroom taking it in looking for anything else. Her hand was still firmly on her gun. If anything jumped out at her they were going to have a bullet wound.

"We have to call the agency…"

"No," she abruptly stopped him and he looked at her with confused eyes.

"He was at my place last night when he got the call. He didn't say much and the only time he does that is when Bratva is involved. Something happened. Long story short there's a brotherhood here and I'm pretty sure this bloody dead fellow came after Oliver. If he was in trouble another way he would have alerted the agency."

"What if he didn't make it to a safe house yet?"

"Tommy…" She didn't want to hear the possibility that something would have happened to Oliver. It wasn't something she wanted to process.

The man paced before her. She read him. He didn't know what to do. Who would when their friend is a Russian mobster and CIA agent?

"We clean this up. Dump the body. Bleach the bathroom. Make it look like he ran from something, but if they come to check our findings they won't find what I'm certain is a dead Russian in his tub." Felicity stumbled out her words with uncertainty.

* * *

Two weeks and still no sign of Oliver. If he trusted Felicity so much why didn't he reach out to her? Tell her he was okay and not to worry? But then that meant he wasn't safe to contact her and that made her worry more. She never thought she'd worry about him like this.

Oliver Queen disappearing when the American government owned him was a big deal.

Felicity's whole day imploded. The NSA, FBI, and other CIA agents all infiltrated the small Starling City agency. It was all the same questions.

Where had Oliver Queen gone?

Who was he affiliated with yet?

Did the Bratva kill him?

Did he run?

Did his demons consume him to the point where he ended his life?

Pictures of his apartment covered the board room wall. They hadn't found any of Tommy and hers clean up of the dead Russian man.

Everyone thought Oliver was dead.

Felicity being questioned made her nervous. What if someone knew about their relationship and told these hungry agents? They'd label her an accomplice. She was sure of it. They'd lock her up and swing her around as bait just seeing if Oliver would return. No one knew anything was personally going on between them. Meaning Tommy kept his word.

Her and Tommy were hanging out regularly. Each time with new possibilities of where Oliver could be. She'd brought out her 'dark web only searches' laptop. Trying to find any breadcrumb to follow.

They were currently eating lunch when she casually dropped the mission she was assigned to.

"They're sending me to break into Kord Industries. Apparently another lethal weapon plan lies behind their walls too."

He was chewing his piece of lettuce from his salad when the realization hit him.

"Didn't Michaels mention my father was after this same device?"

She quit chewing her own salad and looked up at him, "yeah…"

"Felicity!"

"They didn't want you to know! I'm being a good friend don't put me in the corner!"

"Damn it. Are you going in alone?"

"Cisco is going to be in the van. It's a simple smash and grab right down the street."

She continued eating her salad like this mission was no big deal. Even though The Depot could show up and kill her, but that was too predictable. Right?

Tommy said nothing as he finished his food. She didn't want to upset him, but being that his father was involved she knew it did.

"I appreciate you telling me. Even though I get the scraps of missions but anyway, when's the mission?"

"Tonight. Ninja in the dark after security. Textbook plan. I'm not worried." She lied about the last part.

"If my father or any other Depot member shows up…"

"I'll be fine." She assured him.

* * *

Smashing through a window 67 stories up was not fun. It was a thrill, but Felicity's body weight didn't make it as easy as it should've been. She set a device on the window that cracked it enough so that she could break it. Swinging on the rope she pretended she was little again on a swing and pumped her legs to get the height.

She did it smashing through the window and quickly releasing herself from the rope. She even stuck the landing.

Cisco muttered in her ear through comms that security was down. She was on the floor and just had to go through two doors to the labs.

Her trained ear heard it before she reacted. Someone removed the safety from their gun.

Shots rang out as she ducked for cover behind a cabinet. Swiftly pulling her own gun from her waist and removing the safety. She fired back. It sounded like at least four assailants. She could take them and grab the device. She lunged a smoke bomb at them giving her enough time to get into the next room.

"Vibe! Lock me in! What's the situation?" She yelled through the earpiece as the bullets plummeted the door.

" _Four mad men with guns! And two random characters! Their heat signatures look like their headed your way. I'll see what I can do."_

"Copy," so there were two others possibly after this device.

She got into the next door to be greeted by a figure all in black.

It was a standoff before the figure, a man, swung to punch her in the face she blocked it, but not before he kicked out her legs and had her on her ass.

She shot at him with her gun and he dodged it. This wasn't going to be a fair fight. She knew she might have to kill this man.

She got up coming at him from behind trying to overpower him again and she had in for a good minute before he found an opening and hit her in the ribs. Quickly recovering she swung her legs out trying to take him down to pin him. Getting him down was easy keeping him down wasn't. He maneuvered out and she reached again for her gun and he grabbed his.

She hit him in the shoulder and he went down. She ran now trying to find the device until she realized blood was soaking her shirt. She'd been hit too.

This wasn't the time. The device. She had to get the device. The plans or something to uproot The Depot. She was desperate to get her hands on something.

She pressed her left hand into her side as the other held the gun now running towards the drawer where the plans were to be. She was starting to feel the blood loss but ignored it. She'd be dead if she didn't get what Michaels wanted.

She heard footsteps again as she angled herself with her gun to shoot if need be. A tall man appeared in a ski mask she went to shoot, but was too shaky to do so.

"Felicity, don't shoot it's me." It was _him._

Blackness took over as she slumped to the ground. She was aware of her senses, but once again was succumbed to the darkness. She was with Oliver and she knew he wouldn't let her die.

The sound of gunshots rang yet again. She heard Oliver ordering her to stay down as the blueprints were in her hand. She was about to die for this weapon.

Footsteps came towards her again, but she couldn't open her eyes.

"Such a shame," the man spoke as she felt the brush on her cheek. She _knew_ that voice.

The blueprints were pulled from her arm and she cursed. Whatever was in her system this time felt different. Why did they always have to shoot toxions at the poor little blonde spy?

"Felicity." No, she couldn't be hearing _that_ voice now. Her mind had to be playing games. Maybe it wasn't Oliver maybe she was hallucinating.

"Open your eyes," it was real. He was there with his mask off. She forced herself to open her eyes as Oliver hovered over her.

"Good, can you talk?" he crouched next to her brushing a stray hair from her face as he then looked her over for wounds.

"Yes, what the hell where did you come from?" Her body suddenly broke out in a sweat and pain, so much pain that she cried out.

"Hey," he tried to shush her as she so the concern flood his face.

"I'm shot, Oliver." Which he clearly knew as his hand was putting pressure on her wound. Way to state the obviously Felicity, she thought.

"I know, Cisco is helping me get you out of here."

She heard more footsteps, but relaxed at the voice. "Coast is clear. I brought your bag like you asked," Cisco hesitated as a beeping started, "my watch is saying that there's curare in this room."

She saw Cisco's concerned face before Oliver's went from pensive to panic. He practically ripped the bag from Cisco's shoulder as he ordered him to remove the bullet, but not to touch it.

"Sorry Felicity," Cisco muttered as he quickly dug in her wound for the bullet. Her time was precious and she wasn't going to argue.

Next Oliver was at her with a weird looking substance, "You have to eat this don't question it." She nodded as he shoved it all in her mouth before forcing water down her throat to get it into her system. The blackness took her again.

She awoke on a cold metal table. Her shirt gone and she remained in her sports bra and pants. Her head throbbed as did her side. She tried to get up but was _too_ weak.

"Felicity." It was his soft voice that made her look as he approached her.

He put his hand on hers and parted his mouth. "You were shot with a curare laced bullet. Cisco and I got it out. You're going to be okay." His thumb rubbed her hand at the last words.

"Where were you? Where are we?" She had so many questions.

"Not right now. I apologize for the discomfort, but after we make sure you're stable there's a bed waiting for you." She saw the relief on his face now. This was a calm collected Oliver the frightened one from earlier was gone. His face wasn't one of her boyfriend though but a concerned agent. Nothing made sense.

"Oliver…"

"It's okay. Rest." His hand brushed the top of her head. She wanted to fight the sudden urge to sleep, but he stayed with her until sleep won.

* * *

She awoke on the bed this time with Barry staring at her.

"Congrats for being the third person I know to survive curare." He said with a smile.

She sat up carefully, "Where are we?"

"CIA safe house in Central City. We couldn't have the bad guys follow us that close to home."

The memory came rushing back of who exactly she fought. Who shot her. Shit.

"Where's Tommy?"

Barry looked confused, "He's in Starling, Felicity, why?"

She got up quickly that stars flooded her head. An arm was at her side trying to steady her as she tried to push it off. She had to leave. She had to get to Tommy or a phone. Something that would warn him. She was loyal to her friends and was not going to let Tommy get blindsided that his father was stocked with curare.

The shuffling of feet approaching her as what she assumed was Barry still holding her trying to make her sit back down on the bed.

"What's going on?" His voice was deadpan.

"She asked where Tommy was and got up, I'm trying not to force her down but…"

He interrupted Barry, "Give her to me and go find food."

"Yeah, okay I'll do that."

She didn't know whether to be more annoyed that they acted like she wasn't in the room or that Oliver was making another claim. She felt the exchange as Oliver now forced her to the bed. A door shut and he was bringing her to his chest caressing her.

"Felicity, what's wrong?" The stars were melting away she could see straight again.

"Malcolm shot me, Oliver, with the curare. If he wanted me dead and Tommy is in the same city. I promised I warn him!" He shushed her trying to calm her. She didn't want to be calmed.

"How do you know it was Malcolm?"

"He spoke when I was bleeding on the damn floor!"

"I'll deal with it."

She pulled away from him, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? By the way where the hell have you been? Are you aware that Tommy and I literally had to bleach a dead Russian out of your bathroom? You didn't tell me...I was scared." The last words came out before she could stop them.

He nervously played with his fingers in attempts to look anywhere but her eyes. His silence made her angry.

"Damn you, Oliver. How is this between us supposed to work when you clearly don't trust me. Then I'm supposed to just go and trust you?"

"Stop." He got up now aggravated by her attack of words.

She stood up again her body not betraying her as she grabbed her shoes that sat next to the table by the bed and slipped them on. Next she slipped a shirt over her head then grabbed her knife. His hand reached hers and she swung at him pushing him to the wall with the knife at his throat. She was angered that he thought he could keep her here prisoner. _No man_ kept Felicity Smoak prisoner. She had to threaten him by bringing out her dark side. She was out for Malcolm's blood and a warning to Tommy.

"You're forgetting that behind it all I'm still lethal. It's what they all fail to see about me." Her grip was steady as he swallowed hard. "You may claim me as yours, but I will always protect those who are honest with me. Right now Oliver that isn't you. Are you going to let me out of here?"

The look in his eyes turned deadly. She had pushed far too many buttons. The tension in the room was so thick.

This wasn't just Oliver and Felicity in a room but a side of them that also brought out their demons.

He went to disarm her as she quickly went to his throat to render him unconscious. The knife fell out of her hand as he twisted it in an awkward position but she had the upper hand. He wasn't going to harm her and she knew it but he also wasn't going to let her walk out of here that easily.

"Felicity stop…" He croaked out as she was stealing his air getting her body right where she needed rendering him unconscious as he dropped to the floor. If the Bratva could see him now what a mockery they'd make.

She felt bad but never would she let a man stop her from doing what she pleased. She was fine. She was out of one of the Merlyn's in hopes she'd spill Malcolm's blood without Tommy knowing that he had tried to kill her.

* * *

Her arrival back to Starling was faster than she anticipated. Tommy was safely at his apartment. Malcolm on the other hand kept scrambling his location making her task harder, but if she were him, where would she go?

The Glades.

She had to go to her secondary apartment, a contingency. The place where the walls were as white as those of a hospital and personal touches were lacking. One thing that wasn't lacking was her amount of weapons and gear there.

Never doubt the intelligent little blonde CIA agent.

Her anger fueled her as she stepped forth into the apartment. Quickly she shed the clothes she'd bled over and showered. The security of this place was safer than the agency. She had installed it after all so she felt comfortable to know no one would find her.

She dressed in all black with army like pants, a shirt with a bullet proof vest covering her. It dug into her bullet wound on the side but she didn't care. She layered a thick bomber jacket over it. Her blonde hair was pulled in a bun as she put gloves on before grabbing her weapons. Two knives, a gun, and a poison sensor she'd created but never used. She wasn't messing with curare twice.

She had Malcolm down to a two block radius. She'd find him and make him bleed. Not just for herself but for screwing over his only son.

* * *

"Why'd you put a hit on my head Malcolm?" Her gun pointed at his head as he turned to her. Just like she predicted he was tucked away in the Glades.

He laughed, "A should be dead girl is asking me why I wanted to kill her. You're nose has been where it shouldn't have been Miss Smoak. You were becoming a complication. I was just making things easier."

She shot him in the leg and he yelled. "What was that for?"

"Underestimating me." She watched as the blood poured from his leg, "What is this vaccine The Depot is working on or do they just have you as a pretty face doing their dirty work?"

Before he could answer a throwing star was launched at her and she missed it just in time to deflect another. Of course someone would come to rescue this bastard. She decided it wasn't worth it and aimlessly shot her gun to grant her escape.

She knew two things when she got back to her apartment. One Malcolm was injured meaning he would not be coming after her tonight and two Oliver was probably waiting for her on the other side of the door.

She opened it to reveal Tommy sitting on her couch and Oliver pacing. Thankfully she'd dropped her extra weapons back at her secondary place. She was safe tonight and she made sure of it.

Oliver looked at her disapprovingly as Tommy was the one actually looking relieved.

He stood up coming before her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Eyeing her to see if she was okay, "What did you do?"

"I sent a message. It was received and now I'd really like to go sleep alone in my own bed." She walked away leaving him to drop his arms.

She felt Oliver watch her but never speak never move as to see what she would do next. She grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge and sat on her couch prying her boots off her feet.

"Felicity, my father shot you with curare in _our_ city and you went after him without finding me first?"

She huffed in annoyance, "Actually MIA agent over there found me and took me to Central City where he tried to keep me captive from doing _anything_. Malcolm wanted me dead for a reason and I was set on finding it out. You were safe in your apartment Tommy. You didn't think I would check that before I went after him? How could you doubt me like that?"

His eyes widened in realization she had found him. "What did you do to him?"

She rolled her eyes. These boys were so dramatic. "He's got a bad leg now. I would've done worst for Depot information, but it looked like they wanted him intact. So he was alive when I left him, if that's what you're asking."

She got up now attempting to go to her bedroom when Oliver closed the distance and stopped her. Reaching at her wound he applied just enough pressure to make it ache. "Reminder that I let you have the upper hand in Central City. You will _not_ do something this foolish again." His tone was meant to be intimidating. She laughed. She should put him on his ass again to prove a point but she was so tired.

"May I go to sleep or are you two going to make me face judgement all night long?"

Oliver left practically ripping the door of the hinges as he stormed out. Tommy stayed shaking his head. "I'm your couch resident for the night. Don't argue my head hurts yours does and just no. By the way do you need your wound re-bandged?"

"No, but thank you Tommy."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Tissues and more tissues will be needed. Also this story is also now being posted on AO3 as well!

* * *

No one could control the anger Felicity felt after the CIA sent her on a suicide mission for that stupid weapon. Not to mention the anger over Oliver Queen trying to control her like she was his property.

She was full of a rage that wasn't disappearing anytime soon. Tommy had even tried to help. He got her breakfast this morning and her coffee just the way she liked it. He was the only human she'd be nice to today.

She strutted into the agency in high heels and swiftly contained herself in her office. They were all dead to her today. Opening her emails, there was a bureaucratic one from Michaels saying how sorry she was at the fact Felicity almost died. She even praised Oliver for saving her. Wonder how he got so far up Michaels ass?

Speaking of the devil, she saw Oliver make his way to her from her office window. If only these doors had locks!

He walked in with a blunt, "How do you feel?" To which she ignored like a plague. She didn't want to respond and she was under no reason to.

So he sat down on the side of her desk mere inches from her. She was intoxicated instantly and cursed at herself.

"I said, how do you feel, Felicity?" His voice was ice and she wondered if this was an intimidation tactic he used in Bratva.

She continued typing on her computer not paying the man next to her any mind. Suddenly, he put his hands on hers and physically removed her from the computer. He spun her backwards in her chair and got in her face. He really was making her angrier, if that was even possible.

"Don't act like a child."

"I don't have anything nice to say," she curtly replied.

They stared into each others eyes. Challenging for who would break first.

"Felicity, don't shut me out." His voice was soft. The ice previously had melted away.

"You tried to control me, Oliver." She got up now standing almost as tall as him in her heels.

"I tried to keep you safe," he replied causing her to shake her head at the man. He didn't know the difference, hell he couldn't.

A knock at the door drew their attention. Chase stood and let himself in as Oliver backed away from Felicity.

"We have a situation with the Rio mission. We need you both in the boardroom now." He spoke quickly and ran back to the direction of the room with Felicity and Oliver quickly following him.

Tommy and Sara were on the Rio mission. They were assigned to a lead on a drug exchange which had whatever The Depot was cooking all over it.

Felicity was greeted with Roy yelling at Cisco as he typed vigorously away on the laptop in front of him. Michaels was yelling orders through comms as a the screen lit up with security camera footage of the building Sara and Tommy infultraited. The building was on fire and collapsed.

Felicity's heart dropped when she heard Sara finally respond on the comms.

" _I'm fine, I can't find him. He's not answering comms, I need eyes!"_

Him was Tommy. Her eyes immediately shifted to Oliver who now stood across the room staring blankly at the screens. She saw the ice return in his eyes as he shifted to look back at her.

" _Wake up! Tommy! Tommy! Come on!"_ A gun fired and Felicity feared that something had now happened to Sara. She was gravitating to Oliver before she knew it. Her anger dissipating. Two people that Oliver cared about were injured in enemy territory.

" _I need an evac team stat!"_ Sara's voice boomed through the comms as Michaels' called for the order.

Oliver left the room. Felicity watched him for as long as she could before he disappeared down the hall. She turned to Adiran now, "What the hell went down?"

"Ghosts surrounded them. Whatever this was they did not want to be intervened."

* * *

There wasn't an update. Michaels had moved everyone out of the room. There was no sign of Oliver and she knew he had to be going crazy. Two people he cared about with their statues unknown. Did he go to Bratva to find out information?

Adrian had promised her he'd update her. After the week she's had she departed the agency early. Her muscles were sore. She just wanted to crawl in her bathtub and stay in it till she was a prune.

She drove home easily not worried anyone would tail her. Promptly inside her apartment she removed her clothes. Ran the bath water to a temperature that would probably boil her skin. Not caring about her wound getting wet at all. She grabbed her phone, a candle, and gun before crawling in the inviting water.

Whatever Oliver was up to had to be Bratva activities. She doubted that they were assigned from the CIA and rather rogue. Had he used her for info? Was that what this was all about?

No. She need to stop thinking and just take a relaxing soak.

* * *

The second the water turned cold she was out. She had made a decision she was certain she would regret, but there was no turning back now.

She was headed to Oliver's apartment. She'd get in somehow.

Entering the large doors was easy. She was going to have to lie about why she was here incase her arrival sent Oliver off.

To her luck the guard remembered her from last time and waved her forward as she went up to Oliver's floor. Once again she was equipped with her tablet to break into the door. She wasn't going to knock. She was going to arrive. That was exactly what she did. She opened the door to a gun in her face and almost had deja vu.

She smiled curtly at the man behind the gun. He was pissed. This was just like old times. He lowered the gun.

"What the hell are you doing, Felicity?"

"Well Oliver, last time I saw you before Bratva Oliver took over, you claimed me as yours. I had some kind of sick understanding that you were supposed to tell me things, but here you are going missing and then coming to rescue me when of all times I have a curare laced bullet in my body killing me. So what's your fucking deal?"

She saw Oliver take her in. Her tight dark jeans, heels, navy shirt with a leather jacket tossed over it. He was drinking her in. She rolled her eyes and pushed past him to sit on his couch.

"Any more dead Russians in your bathroom that I should know about?" She jabbed.

"You didn't have to cover for me like that."

"I was giving you a chance to explain yourself, unlike previously."

He rubbed his hands over his face, "I'm in deep. They're not going to let me go. That night at Kord I was there to steal the weapon too."

She knew what this meant if he was in with the Bratva again. The darkness had consumed him.

"What are you going to do with the agency?"

"They know an embellished story. After all who do you think told them about the weapon? I was there as a safety."

"Oh because they thought I couldn't do my job. Great." She stood up. He came towards her trying to reach for her but she refused him.

"Have you heard anything about Tommy or Sara?" He asked.

"Chase was going to update me."

"Oh," he sat down on the couch now. She could tell he was beyond agitated.

"They're probably fine." She waited for him to continue thinking he would explain himself. "Where have you been?"

"Doesn't matter I'm back now."

She looked at him with deadly eyes, "Where were you Oliver?"

Before he could answer his phone rang. She made out it was Sara and relief flooded her, until Oliver's tone changed fast. She studied him. He was frozen but she saw the veils popping out of his neck in angry. His eyes never met hers. She stood feet from him with her arms crossed. Her plan was to find out what was going on and storm out a single woman.

He set his phone down before swiftly grabbing a coffee cup and whirling it to pieces as it hit the ground. He paced. He ran his hands harshly over his face before finding another object to throw.

She watched him intently. What the hell had happened?

"Oliver?"

"Get out." His voice pierced her.

"What is going on? What did Sara say?"

He got in her face, "Tommy's dead." Anger was throughout his face but she could tell he was trying to keep from showing anymore emotion. This was his childhood best friend. A man he trusted. A man he loved.

She grabbed him faster than she could think. She pulled him into her. At first he tried to gently push her off, but she fought holding tight to his shirt. He crashed to the floor with her following as he buried his face at her shoulder curling his head into her neck as he shook. She just held him tighter as his arms embraced around her. Her hands laced up his shoulder with the other on his head. He was losing it and Felicity's heart ached deeply for him as she shed her own tears.

The man before her was weeping openingly. In that moment she knew that he trusted her more than anything. It was some messed up reason why he wouldn't tell her Bratva things maybe it was to gain info on The Depot. One thing she knew for certain tonight.

The Depot had killed Tommy Merlyn.

* * *

The array of emotions that Felicity watched Oliver go through all night broke her heart. She couldn't be mad at him anymore. She had to be his rock right now.

He had finally passed out, and Felicity also kind of shot him up with a sedative. She knew he'd be out for blood. Right now that was the last thing he needed when he's playing both sides.

She had formed her own opinion on his whereabouts and reasons for doing what he did that night. Oliver Queen was a complicated man. She'd accepted that, but she wasn't stupid to just leave it at that. He was a double agent. A Bratva thug and a CIA spy. Twisted but truly what he was doing when it came down to it. Both parties could value from him and they were most certainly using him. His past was rough. He even stated he shouldn't be alive. In a way to him this was his twisted penance. He'd do what he could until his death.

Tommy's death brought out another side of him though. One Felicity never had heard about or even seen. Vulnerable had become an understatement as the grown man literally cried himself to sleep before her. He trusted her enough to know she wouldn't exploit the weakness.

Oliver had his demons and so did she. She hated to admit that it was nice to focus solely on taking care of him and not worrying about The Depot wanting her dead.

Felicity's former self would've never thought someone would put a hit out on her, but here she was. Then there was her trying to wrap her head around Tommy being dead.

Did Malcolm order the hit as revenge? Did the Depot want him dead too and they succeeded? She had so many questions.

Going into the agency was optional today. It was Michaels' orders which was strange but she wasn't complaining. She'd panicked alone in Oliver's apartment not wanting to leave him so she started cleaning. It started with the mess she made in the kitchen after breakfast and led all the way to doing his laundry. By her calculations Oliver would wake any minute.

She was sitting on his couch with a blanket over her on her tablet. Adrian had updated her that Sara was fine. Their were FBI agents currently digging through Tommy's apartment which made her uneasy being that she was so close to it. They had leads but weren't making anything definite. The theory was that the Depot had ordered Tommy dead because of something Malcolm did. Felicity didn't think Malcolm had a heart to care enough about his son, but nothing surprised her anymore.

She raised her head at the sound of Oliver's footsteps coming to her. He was either going to be angry or an emotionless mess. She didn't know which she preferred.

He stopped 5 feet from her and decided to take a seat in the chair across from the couch. They both stared at each other neither breaking the silence for awhile.

"Are you hungry? I figured we could order something in. I'm not a bad cook but you don't have much food and I thought after everything that would be better...but if you don't want that or anything much I can make toast…"

"Felicity," he interrupted her, "we can order out. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me." His voice was raw but she nodded and grabbed some takeout menus.

They decided on Italian. Pasta seemed like a good comfort for them both. They sat next to each other on the couch now. She could feel how tense Oliver was. Clearly suppressing, or terribly trying to, his emotions.

"Any updates?" He asked softly.

"The theory is that it was retaliation against Malcolm. Nothing is for sure yet. The agency is kind of a mess."

"That bastard." His voice was ice.

There was a notification that the food had arrived and Oliver insisted on getting it to which she let him. She was going to pry and the first thing was Oliver's cell phone that sat alone on the table with its owner gone for at least five minutes. Was he smart enough to have multiple phones for his dealings? Probably not. She grabbed his phone and quickly overode the system granting her access. If she was Oliver Queen where would the dirt be? Text messages or emails? She only had time to go through one. Text messages won.

There were ones in Russian but nothing to alarming was said in them. The ones that raised suspicions were the ones from a contact titled "D":

 _D: Where have you been? There's a search?_

 _D: You're scaring me man_

 _O: Tell her to stop._

 _D: She's not going to_

 _O: I know where it is_

 _D: Is the girl alive?_

 _O: Barely. Got it out just in time. Where the fuck did he get curare from?_

 _D: I'll look into it_

 _O: There's a war brewing, any info?_

 _D: No_

 _O: Tommy's dead_

 _D: I heard. I'm sorry._

Who was this person and why did they seem to know so much? Was it someone else in the agency? A Bratva member? She couldn't think about this right now and quickly placed the phone back just in time for Oliver to return with the food.

* * *

She sat in the soleum boardroom with Michaels' voice pounding into her head.

"We know for sure that because of the death of his son Malcolm Merlyn has gone rogue against the Depot. This makes him more dangerous than before. I also can tell you that he was attempting to use Tommy as his own personal CIA spy, but since we were restricting Tommy's clearance and activity there was nothing of value."

She zoned out after that not wanting to think of all the ways Malcolm could've saved his son. Tommy couldn't even get a proper burial thanks to the agency. He was being kept in some refrigerator until some legal bullshit went through. Oliver fought Michaels and she wouldn't hand over his body to him.

Speaking of Oliver, she watched him with balled fists on the desk. He was only here because this was a mandatory meeting. The agency was going to be lenient with attendance for the next week. Everyone in the room was tense and she couldn't wait to leave. She just wanted to go home and try to finally digest everything without the fear of being judged. She couldn't appear as the weak little field agent who started out in a lesser position.

Oliver had followed her to her office without saying a word. She ignored it. He sat down in her chair as she gathered anything she'd need to work from home.

She ran her hands through her hair before turning to him, "What do you want?"

"I'm going to be gone for a couple days. I wanted to let you know."

She rolled her eyes, "That's nice."

He stood up gently going to her with his hand placed on her shoulder. "Will you be okay alone?"

"It's not like you asked me the last time you disappeared. Feel free to continue lying to me. I prefer it that way." She pulled away grabbing her coat and purse when he stopped her again.

"I need sometime to...process." He spoke softly.

She just looked at him with an undying need to slap him. Was he serious?

"Do what you want." She snapped.

She successfully left the horrid agency building and had made it home.

Wine glasses weren't an option as she opened a second fresh bottle and drank straight from it. It was a slow way to get drunk but she didn't care.

There was a knock on her door. She wasn't answering it and grabbed her knife in precaution of forced entry.

Sure enough the door opened and she flung her knife at the intruder from across the room. He swiftly dodged it as it fell to the floor. Oliver.

"Thought I'd return the favor of breaking into your apartment. Don't you know there was supposed to be a gun in my face and not a knife flying at me?" He was smug and drunk as well.

"You're ruining my buzz. Plus weren't you supposed to be gone on another secret trip."

He closed the distance between the two and reached for the wine bottle in her hand taking his own sip. He laughed, "You're never even going to get drunk with this." He kissed her and her stupid self kissed him back.

"I decided to stay." He intently spoke, "I didn't want you to be alone. I was being selfish."

His arms surrounded her with the rest of his body. She couldn't breathe and she didn't want to. If she couldn't be consumed by alcohol then maybe being consumed by him was the next idea. Psychotic? Maybe, but she wasn't in the mood to care as she attached her lips to Oliver's neck like a vampire needing a taste.

She wanted him to react somehow as he stayed still. Was he unsure how he felt about letting Felicity wither him away? Suddenly, she felt the move as he push her away. Well that hurt.

She met his eyes confused.

"This isn't the way Felicity." He spoke making her chuckle. So he was going to be the responsible one now?

"Well aren't you a party pooper." She groaned.

"Felicity, you're still wounded and I would never take advantage of a woman in your state." He walked to her kitchen now to examine the damage she had done with wine.

"So noble." She spat out causing Oliver to roll his eyes at her. She was totally feeling some of the alcohol. This was her second bottle after all and she'd brought out the good stuff to wallow away until Oliver showed up.

She grabbed her bottle of wine again and began to down it as fast as possible since the party police were clearly here.

As she predicted Oliver came over to her in attempts to pry the bottle from her hand.

"Let me lie in the hole I dug for myself tonight. Let me just have this one night to be reckless before everything goes back to shit!" She was angry at the world.

"Look, I get where you're coming from but you need to stop."

"Stop what? Michaels sent me on a suicide mission. I get shot. I shoot Malcolm. Tommy dies. You're in deep with Bratva. I mean what do you want from me?"

He successfully grabbed the bottle off of her as she plopped on the couch. Unsure of what to do he stood before her letting her admit whatever she needed to.

"I'm just the stupid little computer geek who thought she could take on the world. Now I don't even know who I am anymore."

She could tell that her comment pained him as his facial expression shifted. The alcohol was making her all emotional. The only times she usually broke like this was in front of Helena, but the two women had been distant so here she was breaking down in front of her former enemy. She avoided Oliver's eyes as the silence ate them both. She shook her head in attempts to calm herself she got up. The second she was up he was yanking her into his arms.

She felt the tears soak into his shirt before realizing they were her own. How pathetic was this, she thought.

He took a deep breath, "You're the strongest woman I know and most certainly the smartest." Kissing her forehead gently he continued, "This isn't where you thought you'd be and it's alright. Our demons bring out the worst in us."

She shifted in his arms enjoying the feeling now. He was trying in his own twisted way to comfort her and she'd accepted it.


	17. Chapter 17

Cry on Oliver Queen. Check.

Attend a memorial for Tommy Merlyn. Check.

Pull yourself back together. Check.

Figure out who 'D' is, what the Depot is doing next, find Malcolm Merlyn, and now to her ever adding list monitor Helix. Not checked.

The past week had been difficult. Though Oliver had stayed around he had not attended Tommy's memorial. She couldn't blame him though. In some sense she understood that it was best he didn't attend for the spotlight it would've brought on him.

She found him in his apartment with bloody knuckles and an empty bottle of whiskey that night. She cleaned him up and got him to bed. She wasn't the one to judge after her drunken mess.

She collected herself, suppressed the emotions and got back to work.

* * *

The kink in her neck told her she'd been staring at the computer screen before her for too long. Felicity was frustrated beyond belief that Michaels' had her watching the surveillance she set up on Helix for some reason. She denied that there was word the Depot would attack and all of Felicity's other questions so here she was waiting for something that may never happen.

She felt Oliver stare long ago. Watching her like a hawk. She was surprised that he had shown to work. In need of a distraction she slammed her hands down on the desk before busting out of her office in need of coffee, and she kind of hoped that Oliver would follow.

She was adding sugar to the caffeine mix she had created when he entered. He stood in a distance far enough away to not startle her, but she knew he was there.

Not standing the silence anymore she spoke, "You're being extra creepy today." She turned to him and almost laughed at the bags that adorned under his eyes just like hers.

He said nothing as she took a sip from her coffee when a thought popped into her brain, "Oliver, does everyone know something I don't? Is that why you're watching me?"

"Felicity…" he stepped closer to her.

"What is it?"

"I have intel that Merlyn is getting desperate in attempts to avenge Tommy's death. The Depot threatened him and when he didn't comply they murdered Tommy. There's one thing Merlyn could get total control of that would cause upheaval in The Depot."

His eyes were serious as they pounded into hers. As if he was searching for a sign that she got what he said.

The second the realization struck her she felt nausea.

"Helix," she breathed as she gracefully ran to her office back to the computer which was monitoring the building that housed the weapon.

Sure enough there were dead bodies everywhere. In the couple minutes she had left Malcolm had obliterated the building and stole the mainframe hard drive that now activated her fail safe.

She was the only one that could unlock Helix now.

How long would it take for Malcolm to find her?

* * *

Her phone rang showing that the caller was unknown. She had the worst feeling that she should answer it that it was going to be something important.

"Hello?"

"Sweetheart. I know that you're aware of what I possess. From my understanding from my very dead hacker, you are the only person who can unlock it for me. So what do you say?"

She seethed at the sound of Malcolm's voice. Calling her was stupid as she began a trace on his location. She just had to keep him on the line long enough to track it.

"What makes you think I'll help you?"

"You're in bed with a devil. I don't think anything is beneath you Felicity that you wouldn't do."

Was he referring to Oliver?

"Don't assume you know me, Malcolm. Your son and I may have been good friends but you are nothing like him."

She needed another minute to get the location. Of course it kept pinging until she could get her program to narrow it down.

"I know that you're in a relationship with Oliver Queen, practical King of the Bratva. I know that he doesn't tell you much. I know for a fact that your mother lives on 478 Sunrise Avenue in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her grey car is parked in the driveway right now."

She was angry, "You're bluffing."

"Unlock Helix for me, Miss Smoak. If not you will find out very soon that I am most certainly not bluffing."

"Never." she hung up not knowing what to do as her location program confirmed the thing she was afraid of the most. Malcolm was indeed at her mom's house.

She barely got all the words out to Michaels as she called for Oliver, Helena, Chase, and Cisco in the boardroom. Felicity was in a panic. A panic of emotion that she never wanted to feel let alone all the other shit she forced away.

The voiced loomed through the room on the optics how to get there in time, but there was no time when he was already there and Felicity knew that.

She tried to warn her mother, but the calls had gone straight to voicemail. She tried to hack the camera in her laptop hoping that her mother had left the screen open like she always does. It was off.

Adrenaline coursed through her body. She had to save her mother from whatever Malcolm had in store. Her fingers typed frantically on the computer, but she soon realized that there was nothing a computer could do that could save her mother. She was betrayed by the one thing she thought would never fail her.

Suddenly, the monitors went black in the entire agency and flipped to show Malcolm's face.

"Oh my god," there was Malcolm in Felicity's childhood home with her mom strapped to a chair screaming that she loved her daughter.

Felicity felt helpless. She felt Oliver's hand on her shoulder as Malcolm's voice boomed through the agency.

"I have a beautiful blonde here." He turns the camera to show Felicity's mom, Donna, terrified face. "And I don't think she's going to make it much longer all because of her own daughter, who would've thought?" Donna screams as Felicity stands horrified. He wouldn't, would he?

Not caring Oliver pulls her into his side his arm firmly around her back. Her hands are over her mouth as the unthinkable happens. As if in slow motion they watch as Malcolm raises his gun and shoots Felicity's mom in the head.

Felicity can't look away from the blood pouring out of her mother's head as shock takes over. She feels Oliver drag her away with Chase trailing behind them. She hears someone's sobs as she realizes it's her own. She doesn't know what to think or even feel.

Her mother is dead all because of her.

She's placed in a solitary room the only room without a screen broadcasting Malcolm's horror. Words are shouted people are panicking as Felicity still holds tight to Oliver. She appreciates him not letting go not letting her be alone.

" _We have to get her out of here!"_

" _He's just going to want her for Helix."_

" _Track that call!"_

" _I need agents and FBI there now!"_

The voices seemed distant, but so close, so familiar.

" _Oliver get her out of here. I don't care where you need to take her to keep her safe, but just do it."_ Felicity recognized that voice as Michaels' what the hell? She seemed so _sincere._

"Felicity," she realized he was talking to her now gently pulling the delicate frame of her face to his, "I need to take you to a safe location. I need you to leave all your devices here. Most importantly I'm going to need your trust. Can you do that for me?" His voice was gentle making her even more uneasy. She nodded her head agreeing. She wanted to this to be all over and wake up from this terrible dream.

* * *

Felicity awoke content warm in an embrace of many soft blankets. She sighed that her body pulled her out of sleep until the reality hit her.

Her mother was dead because of her. The image of her mother being shot settled in her brain and she couldn't shake it.

Until voices outside what appeared to be a simple bedroom made her focus. One was Oliver's the other was a man she did not recognize. Had he taken her to the Bratva for protection?

Oh god if she was at Bratva would they force her to open Helix?

Her only thought was to escape, but once she sat up in the bed she was lightheaded. She realized her body was weak from crying and not eating anything. Had it been days later? How long had she been asleep?

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the door opening and Oliver peering in.

"I thought I heard you up. Do you want something to eat?" He was gentle. Walking on eggshells with her.

Her voice croaked as she tried to speak, but she cleared her throat and spoke clearly, "Where are we?"

He could deny it if they were at some Bratva place. The room she currently in was white and pristine. It didn't scream an ounce of mob to her. The bed and blankets were beyond comfortable. It seemed to go to be true. He came and sat inches from her on the bed.

"We are at one of my safe houses. Not tied to the CIA or Bratva. The only person that could track this location if they tried would be you. You're safe. I promise you. Until everything gets sorted out you will be safe here." She could tell her wanted her to feel secure to have some sense of the world being okay, but she couldn't fathom that right now.

"I gathered your clothes and toiletries from your place. I hope that will be okay for you to use." She nodded and he continued, "Will an egg and toast be okay to try first?"

How'd he know her stomach would feel so empty but so sick like this? Experience. In some sick way he was going to be the best one to take care of her.

She nodded again.

"Good. I'll bring it here. Lie back down and rest okay?"

He was almost out of the room when the words left her mouth, "Who were you talking to out there?"

"Someone you will meet after you get some food in you."

She barely got half the food down, but Oliver understood and didn't force her to eat anymore. She tied her hair back and found her robe before slowly making her way out of the bedroom. Oliver had told her to come out when she was ready. She looked for knives in her bag, but unfortunately, he wasn't so kind as to pack her one. Oliver clearly trusted whoever this person was. He asked her to trust him and this time no matter what she knew she had to.

She walked out to another white room this one larger with more light than hers. Oliver sat on a grey couch across from another one with a mysterious man on it. Oliver smiled at her and motioned for her to come join him. The second she sat down the man before her became familiar, but she couldn't figure it out. Did she know him?

"Felicity, this is John Diggle."

Fuck. This is the man that began Oliver down a dangerous path.

"Hi," she directed at Diggle before turning to Oliver, "Why is a security guy here with us? Let alone one that got you involved with Bratva."

She heard the man chuckle as she was completely focused on Oliver.

"Diggle knows everything about my life. Well he might not know till afterwards, but he knows. Lyla is his wife, Felicity. Between the two of them they've helped me the best they can and for all that they've done I've put my trust in them."

"Lyla...Michaels? You mean the director is this man's wife and she had you beat up? What the hell is going on?"

She looked to both men before her now for answers.

"Oliver sometimes needs covers for Bratva. Such that he got in trouble. There needs to be physical documented proof through the agency so Michaels' steps in. It's all a game with them. Oliver and I have figure out enough steps to be ahead of the Bratva but right where they think he needs to be. Lyla takes a small part in this but she's known more then what she's lead on." This Diggle man seemed like a gentle giant. That or he was walking on eggshells too.

He continued, "I'd like to give you my deepest sympathy on the loss of your mother. Unfortunately there's some CIA protocols that they have her for awhile before a proper burial can be conducted. A month or two at max. Lyla will aid in whatever you need Felicity."

"Thank you."

She didn't want to believe her mother was dead. So a thing so sensitive like this didn't bother her. The emotions were gone again suppressed into the deepest part of Felicity's mind.

"Oliver, I'm going to head out. If there's anything you both need let me know. I'll be back with an update as soon as possible." They did the typical male handshake hug thing before Diggle left.

Now she was alone with Oliver.

He looked at her as if he was studying her face to see if she would crack. She knew better then to let herself go again in front of him. She had to be strong.

Assessing the room she realized that it felt quite homey. Was this a place Oliver would go to hide? Had this been where he was? As if on queue he answered her thoughts.

"When my parents died I bought this place as a hide out. My sister and I stayed here. I've been using it as my personal safe house. Diggle and I are the only two who know the location. I know we've had our differences, but Felicity, I will not leave you alone and I most certainly won't let any harm come to you." His eyes pierced hers to make the words stick. She simply nodded and began playing with her thumbs. There was a question she wanted to ask, but didn't know if she could.

"Oliver?" her voice came out weak she squinted as he came to sit next to her.

"What is it?" he was gentle as he took ahold of her fiddling hands.

"My mother's house...job...her death. My mom is dead. It can't just be published that a terror organization killed her…"

"Lyla and Diggle are handling it."

She looked down not wanting to meet his eyes for fear of breaking apart, "What's the story?"

He tensed not knowing how to go about telling her the words, but she encouraged him by squeezing his hand.

"A sudden heart attack. Everything was made private. They started to clean the house. Everything is in boxes. It will be at a storage location for you to go through one day. They're taking care of it."

All Felicity could muster was a nod. He pulled her into his chest holding her tight in comfort. She didn't want to break. Didn't want to cry so instead she numbly let Oliver hold her as he soothingly rubbed his hands up and down her back.

Malcolm's words haunted her thoughts.

" _You're in bed with a devil."_

Right now the devil gave her comfort. If she was going to be burned then this is the hell she welcomed.


	18. Chapter 18

Check the end of the chapter for notes!

* * *

When Felicity was younger her mother couldn't afford much. On her 7th birthday her mom had somehow come up with enough money to buy her a computer. When she was 16 and everyone wanted a car Felicity's mother had purchased her a top of the line computer. She became the best at computers hacking away and covering her tracks in college. When she accepted the job with the CIA that's when her relationship with her mother went south. She was lying to her constantly. Stating that she was working on something that she couldn't talk much about. They had fought and it only got worse when she became a field agent. She visited her mother for her birthday. Concealed her bruises and scrapes from training, but her mom saw them. When she couldn't answer as to why her mother freaked out claiming that she had some secret life that she didn't want her apart of. It was true, but it was never what she intended for her mother.

They'd lost touch.

Now that precious computer she was once gifted and the life she led because of it had caused her mom's death. If only she was honest or had her under protection. Things could have been different.

Her mother was dead because of her.

She dug her emotions into the deepest part of her. Not wanting to think or feel anything.

Felicity didn't fight back as the darkness consumed her.

* * *

They had kept her in the safe house for a week. Malcolm had gone to Felicity's apartment. He ransacked the place finding nothing that could get him Helix. Oliver, Helena, and Adrian had already combed her apartment taking all her electronics beforehand. Helena had packed her clothes for her as she was fully living out of the suitcases at the safe house.

They made the mistake of giving her her laptop. Oliver warned her that the WiFi wasn't the best there. She simply laughed as she configured the modem and router to a speed to could work on.

When she was sure that Oliver and Diggle had left her for the day it was go time.

She was going to open Helix. Alerts would be set out. They would know it was in her hands. She could set the world on fire with a couple keystrokes.

She wanted all the information on it. No, she _needed_ it. What was so worth her mother's death? What could end The Depot?

She had checked her location first finding that she was 5 hours from Starling. Giving her enough time to find some information before Oliver stormed the house.

* * *

They were using Starling for their first experiment.

The words were in Russian. Meaning that there was a high chance Oliver knew about this.

Clear as day.

The plans weren't that clear, but stated that an army would be made a mind controlled forces. That was enough for her stomach to drop the emotions to seep in for just a little bit. Until she heard someone else in the house with her. She felt his pretense. Watching her as her wide eyes met his. He'd come to stop her.

"Felicity…" he spoke exasperated. She wondered how many speed limits he had broken to get here this fast.

"It's in Russian, Oliver." She stared at her screen.

"What did you do?" His voice was ice. Clearly mad at her he approached her where she sat on the bed. She didn't even flinch at his intimidation tactic.

"What do you think Oliver? They sent you."

He was trying to keep his composure. She wanted him at his worst though. She wanted to be yelled at. To be angry at someone for something other than the death of her mother.

She felt that he had a part of in this somehow. It couldn't be conscience. Bratva had to have their hands deep in this. If Oliver was as high up in the brotherhood as Malcolm claimed, he had to be playing them all.

"Felicity, if you didn't block your IP address they would be here for your blood. Malcolm is hunting you. The Depot is hunting you." he sat now on the bed across from her.

She laughed as his face scrunched into confusion.

"Starling is in jeopardy of being controlled by these psychos and you think I give a shit about me? About my blood? No. Their secrets are all in my hands. Your secrets too since this has Bratva in it. You didn't tell them you knew about this did you?"

She watched him as he stilled completely. The veins in his neck were ready to burst from his rage. The composure barely hanging on. She had him right where she wanted him.

She safely locked Helix and slammed the laptop shut before getting in his face.

"Or are you here to kill me on behalf of Bratva? It would explain why you got so close to me. Why you claimed me as yours. So do it Oliver. Slit my throat. Snap my neck. Make me bleed."

He grabbed her by the neck faster than she expected. His rough hands firm on her soft flesh. She stood her ground daring him to snap her neck. She welcomed it. She wanted to ravish in the pain.

His lips attacked hers feverishly shifting the moment. All they needed was to taste each other more than air. He pulled away from her lips to whisper in her ear.

"If I wanted to kill you I would've done it by now. You're _mine._ " He growled out the last part igniting Felicity's skin in goosebumps.

If she couldn't bleed she'd take the next best thing. The sexual tension had become thick between them. She pulled his face back to hers kissing him harshly. He grabbed onto her hips snaking one arm up her back.

Her hands undid the buttons on his white shirt as she pulled it and the jacket he wore over it off. Her mouth pulled off of his as she pushed him into the wall. She licked, kissed, and bit down his neck and at his collarbones emitting small growls from his throat. She had him. This was hers to control now.

Oliver tried to take her shirt off, but she wouldn't let him. Instead she led him to the bed made him sit as she loomed above him. Seductively removing her shirt and bra before him. He savored the sight of her placing his hands on her stomach and all the way up to her breasts. She moaned at his touch needing this. He got up to remove his pants and shoes. Remaining in his boxers with his bulge protruding. He sat back down as his eyes watched Felicity's. She removed the rest of her clothing before she promptly sat in his lap. Grinding down on him as his hands grabbed her flipping them both on the bed.

He was above her softly tracing her lips with his finger. She needed him but was entertaining whatever he had in store now. She craved the attention. His finger moved down her body slowly tracing every curve all the way to her core.

She lost herself in him. His touch had her withering in his hands. All the bad didn't exist. It was just him touching her like she had never been touched before. She relished in it.

He pulled away just enough springing his erection free. She watched with wide eyes as he teased her entrance before kissing her hard. There was another pause for him to put protection on before he slid home.

A moan came out of Felicity before she could stop it. He hissed in pleasure pounding into her. Apparently, this was how he was going to release his anger too. She let him for a few seconds before grabbing him motioning that she wanted control again. They moved while he was still instead until she straddled him again, but this time she was riding him to her release.

* * *

She was awoken by Oliver yelling at someone on his phone. He had shut the bedroom door but it did little to muffle his sounds. Felicity looked around the room her clothes still laid where she had flung them. It was still dark outside so she guessed that it was early morning. She got up out of bed still naked and sore from the night with Oliver. A smile crossed her face and she quickly erased it remembering she shouldn't be feeling. That included Oliver who had his sick, but caring claim over her.

Walking out the the living area she discovered Oliver at the window in nothing but his boxers. A phone still pressed against his ear as the other ran through his hair in frustration. She watched him for a second before speaking.

"What's wrong?" she kept her distance, leaning on the back of the couch facing him.

He let out a sigh before speaking to her, "There's a new player in this game with The Depot. He calls himself 'Prometheus' and he just murdered Helena's fiancé with a nice message attached to his body." He shifted his eyes back to the window. Knowing that Felicity was on the edge of going down a very dark path he knew this would affect her.

Felicity walked to Oliver trying to get him to face her before she questioned him, but it was no use as whoever he was talking to returned back to the call.

"Mne nuzhna informatsiya ob etom cheloveke. Eto yego sed'moye ubiystvo za dva dnya," he was speaking Russian meaning this was probably a Bratva contact, "Kakogo khrena ty khochesh'! Klyanus' ... on ne prosto poyavilsya iz vozdukha! Pozvonite mne cherez dva chasa s informatsiyey ili pomogite mne." He abruptly turns around to Felicity. "No one knows anything. I didn't want to ask, but could you find anything?"

She nods, "Yeah of course. How is Helena? I didn't even know…"

"None of us did. Michaels' is so pissed. Whoever this is keeps killing. The police are useless, the FBI can't find a motive, he claims he's what comes before the stroke of death." He paces with each word.

Felicity lets him rattle as she grabs her laptop and begins to pull up searches. Hacking all information on the murders, including Helena's fiancé. He's still pacing by time she comes to sit on the couch leaving enough room for him that she hopes he'd join her.

She pulls up articles from the Starling City newspapers, but nothing goes to into detail probably to not scare the public more. She's then into the CIA's mainframe pulling their information which paints a better picture. Seven deaths all random. They're calling it an attack against the cities people. The causes of death all are blunt force trauma with exsanguination. Meaning the victims were captured and tortured or at least tortured. She read the autopsy on Helena's fiance that was completely in a timely manner for a cover up from the agency. It stated that he had lacerations from throwing stars and that his skin was peeled up in places where major arteries were. She cringed at the finding. Not really wanting to read anymore she set up an algorithm for any suspects and shut her laptop.

Oliver stopped pacing and met her eyes. "What's wrong? Did you find something?"

She criss crossed her legs in her lap before placing both elbows on them then hiding her face with her hands, "Yeah one sick bastard is doing this. Helena's fiance's skin was peeled. I put the MO in an algorithm." She stood up now suddenly feeling tired, "I was going to try and get some sleep."

He approaches her taking her hand, "I'll come join you."

Not another word is spoken until both are settled under the covers.

"Felicity," she moved into Oliver's chest half asleep but wanting him to know she was listening, "There's a darkness consuming you and I don't know how to save you when I can't even save myself."

Well that woke her, "Oliver, don't. I'm going to be alright." Saying it outloud didn't sound as convincing as it did in her head. She wondered if he caught the slight hesitation in her voice.

He holds her tight not commenting at all. He continually rubbed soothing circles on her back lulling her back into sleep.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all the support here's a translation of what Oliver said in Russian. I used Google Translate so if it's wrong, I'm sorry!

"I need information about this man. This is his seventh murder in two days  
What the fuck are you good for! I swear...he didn't just appear out of thin air! Call me in two hours with information or so help me."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** **HUGE warning that this chapter is very violent and messed up.**

* * *

It had been days since Oliver had told her about Prometheus. She wanted justice for her friend as well as all the innocent people he was killing. Everytime she thought she had a lead it was too late. Another person murdered all because she wasn't fast enough in catching a monster.

Then there were the nightmares that plagued her. Everytime it was her trying so save her mother from Malcolm's hands just for him to take her life over and over again. She couldn't get the image out of her head of her mother with the blood trickling out of her face and Malcolm being so nonchalant about it.

She was frustrated slamming her laptop closed and removing herself from the bedroom to make more coffee.

Diggle sat on the couch carefully watching her as she entered the kitchen. She thought it was silly for him to be here protecting her when people in Starling City clearly needed it more, but she didn't feel like arguing with Oliver over the situation. He trusted Diggle enough to keep her safe from The Depot or whoever would want to come her way. That was enough for her.

"Am I allowed to have coffee or are you going to drink all of it?" She nodded as Diggle approached the counter as she was putting the last scoop of coffee in.

Side eyeing him before adding more coffee grounds in so that he could have coffee. "There's enough for a cup for you. The rest is mine."

"You know if you're wanting to catch this guy, sleep might help you." Felicity knew that Diggle was right. She could feel the bags protruding out from under her eyeballs. She had an obsession to save someone to beat the bad guy in the nick of time just once and then she'd feel better.

She folded her arms as the pot began to brew, "I run on caffeine. Not sleep."

Diggle shook his head at the blonde before him. Before he can lecture her further his phone rings and he motions one second before answering, "Hey Oliver, what's up?"

Felicity doesn't like the sound of the conversation especially when he says, "Why can't I tell her?" She has an uneasy feeling that something is wrong. If it were another death she take the punch and suck in the scream that she so desperately kept from escaping her body.

Once he hangs up the phone he looks at Felicity like a deer in headlights.

She tilted her head at him, "So are you going to tell me what that's about?"

"He doesn't want you to know." he states, looking down at his phone that still rests in his hands.

She nodded, smartly, "And we both know that Oliver doesn't control me."

"They caught Malcolm," he said like he couldn't hold the words in anymore if he tried.

Her breathing stops for just a second. Coming to her senses she knows she has to get out of this safe house somehow. So she acts normal, like it's not a big deal that her mother's murder had been caught.

"Where is he?" It came out more of a statement before Felicity began to make her move taking two mugs out for coffee. Pouring hers with a little cream and sugar and Diggle's the same. She had to keep this casual.

"Felicity, this is a road you don't want to go down. He's in custody. He's not going anywhere."

She felt the warning in his voice, but she needed to get to Starling as fast as possible. She dreamt of the day she could come face to face with Malcolm. Nothing was going to stop her. So she did the logical thing.

She drugged his coffee before giving it to him.

He had got caught up in another call with Lyla and didn't even notice when she grabbed medicine from the drawer. She didn't want to hurt Diggle, but she needed out of there. Digging through the drawer she found something that could do the job. She didn't question why Oliver had this specific drug in his personal safe house, but it wasn't the time. She popped five of the pills into his hot coffee before sitting it on the table in front of him.

Guilty was now another feeling she pushed far back into her brain.

Now it was time to wait. She returned to sit across from him while working on her laptop to find the best way to get into the agency undetected. She would glance at Diggle every time he took a sip of coffee. He was texting and quiet which she was grateful for. If he suspected her of escaping or attempting anything he didn't say a word.

The thud on the floor of his phone falling from her hands alerted her. She stood up carefully before checking that he was still breathing and that he had indeed drank all his coffee.

Her heart sank more. She knew this was the only way.

Now it was time for her mission. She grabbed any phone that Diggle could use once he woke, including his own. He had been texting Lyla but didn't mention Felicity. She dressed in black leggings, boots, and a large black hoodie she was sure was Oliver's. She grabbed a bag that included things for her to hack through the agency since she was sure they'd cut her clearance off. A knife, her laptop, and finally Diggle's keys before heading out of the safe house.

Felicity took one last deep breath before pulling out of the driveway. There was no turning back now.

* * *

Climbing through the ceiling of the agency was not what she wanted to do, but it was the easiest way to go undetected. The ceiling was slabbed in concrete and impenetrable making her climb easy. There were only a couple access points for safety reasons. That was her key to getting in.

Step one was to hook up to the server rooms feeds to find which room Malcolm was in. Second was making a loop convincing enough that she'd have at least ten minutes with the murder before she was caught.

Once that was done she crawled through a safety escape door in the ceiling the had her two rooms down from Malcolm. It was almost too easy. Had they expected her or someone to come for Malcolm? Did he have an escape plan in play? She knew there was no time to think about that.

Shaking from adrenaline she twisted the doorknob open to where he was being kept. Malcolm's eyes went wide and she jammed the door before approaching him. The loop was running and there was not a flash to waste.

"My my my Felicity Smoak. They said you'd disappeared. Kind of you to come back just for me." he said, shifting in his seat.

"She didn't have to die." Her voice was lethal as she stood opposite of Malcolm.

"No she didn't. I needed Helix. You didn't provide it therefore you killed your own mother. Now that's pretty messed up. Why wouldn't you save the woman who gave you life?" The smug bastard relaxed sitting back in his chair but crossed his arms over his chest, was riling her up and it was working.

"Stop." She was trying to maintain her composure as her hands gripped onto the cold metal table.

"You know I do have one regret though. She was such a beautiful lady. I should've seen what was underneath. Felt her breasts. Buried myself deep inside of her. Heard her scream in pleasure before she begged for her life, though that was enough to turn me on too."

"You sick bastard!" Felicity was livid, slamming her fists on the table before she gripped the cold metal chair across from where Malcolm sat.

"Her blood felt so nice on my face. Her lasts breaths quickly made it out of her body though. I wish she suffered more…" he was maniac, but not as maniac as Felicity was about to become.

She lost it. Swiftly picking up the chair and lunging at Malcolm. His eyes went wide at her first swig to his head with the chair. She lost sight as she continually did it over and over again. Red was everywhere but it didn't stop her. All the pain she harboured was finally escaping her. Nothing could stop her from killing Malcolm so gruesomely they'd have to wipe pieces of his brain from all over the room.

Suddenly, there were arms at her waist, her hands. They were pulling her back as she watched the sight before her get further and further away.

She was taken to another room. Her body was shaking so hard. She didn't know if it was because the adrenaline had worn off or the blood that soaked through her clothes now turned cold.

She felt _him_ trying to pull her back into reality, but she couldn't go there not after what she just did. Everything hurt. Her body ached liked she'd been shot ten times over. Her head throbbed. Her blood covered hands shook.

"Felicity...please look at me." Oliver.

"She's lost her mind." Helena.

"I brought towels…" Barry, before gasping at the sight.

 _He_ touched her blood covered face so gently as if she wasn't the monster she'd just become. As if he didn't just see her smash apart Malcolm's skull.

"It's okay. You're okay." He spoke as soon as her eyes met his she lost it. The tears consumed her as she let herself feel. Every emotion came to the surface.

Oliver pulled her close as sobs wracked through her body. Why was he comforting her? He pulled her out of there. He saw what she had done. Yet here he was literally holding her together with his arms.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but when she finally pulled away Michaels' was standing there with her arms crossed. She stared up at her, silent. There was panic all over Lyla's face. For the first time Felicity saw her as a person instead of her spiteful boss.

"Did you come here to kill Malcolm?" Her voice had the tone of a concerned mother.

"I wanted to come face to face with him after what he did to my mother. I didn't," she stuttered unable to comprehend what she did completely, "that was not my intention. I lost control."

"My god Felicity. Do you know what you've done? Has it even registered what you did to another human body? You mutilated him! He suffered." The boss in her returned. She then turned to Oliver, "Clean her up. I have to alert Langley. They will either determine it was a mental breakdown and send her to a psych ward or handle it their way."

Felicity didn't care what happened to her. She had got justice for her mom. Malcolm may not have been apart of The Depot, but if they came for her she'd slaughter them too.

* * *

They locked her in a pristine clean room after they took photos of the blood all over her before making her clean up. Helena and Oliver had argued over who was going to clean her up, but a woman had to do it so Helena won. Oliver was gone. Either to find what she had done to Diggle or because he realized Felicity had gone crazy. She'd take the truth. If he no longer wanted anything to do with her, she'd accept it. She nodded to herself to shake off the tears. Somehow this one act of evil outdid anything Oliver had ever done. She was the monster and she now put him on a silver platter. It didn't make any sense but this is the logic she accepted.

Ironically, they had Felicity in a white attire almost like a nurses' outfit. She smelled of a strong clean scent after Helena insured the metal of the blood would not be something her friend would continue to smell. Her hair was wet and unruly. Her eyes were beyond puffy. She sat patiently waiting for a fate she knew was probably a psych ward, which honestly she could use, until the unexpected walked in.

"Felicity Meghan Smoak, you are under arrest for the murder of Malcolm Merlyn under the United States Government CIA jurisdiction for agents. You are to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You will be appointed a government lawyer…" the words bogged in her head as they roughly pulled her up from the chair and placed her hands in cuffs.

Forcefully, she was walked down a hall. Barry, Adrian, Cisco, Roy, and Helena all stood in disbelief, but it was the last pair of eyes that looked as if they rushed to see if they were really going to arrest her, that broke her heart more.

He was right. She needed to be saved from the darkness, but she was too far gone.

* * *

A/N: **Thank you to episode 5x17 of Scandal for the inspiration. I really went there for this chapter. I hope that you guys enjoyed it, please give me feedback it really helps me to push myself further in writing this story!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Sorry for the hiatus! This is a bit of a filler chapter, a time jump is coming! Enjoy :)**

* * *

She laid on the hard mattress in her cell — though she wouldn't even consider it a mattress. It had been a week since she murdered Malcolm. A week that she's been in this cell. They've interrogated her. Examined her. You name it the grim agents did it. All to determine what would become of her. She hoped they'd kick her out of the CIA. Make her change her identity. She'd work at a computer store helping the technological challenged figure out how to operate a computer instead of dealing with life and death everyday. Perhaps she had signed on for more than she bargained for. Just because she passed all the field agent tests doesn't mean she should've been one. Hell, maybe she was crazy.

This was never apart of the plan for her life. That's what ate at her. She killed a man in cold blood.

She became a monster. Someone that she fought to put away in jail was now her. How messed up was that?

No one had visited her — not even Oliver. She knew he was right seeing straight through her that she was on a path of darkness.

Suddenly, the sound of metal doors opening pulled her out of her thoughts. She remained still not moving from the mattress as footsteps got closer.

Maybe the Depot was here for her? Maybe it was another cruel fate?

"Well I don't think orange is your color." Diggle's voice boomed through the cell. She turned her head seeing that it was him and not her mind playing tricks on her before she sat up greeting him with a small smile. Felicity looked towards the hall Diggle had just came from in hopes he didn't come alone.

"He's not here," Diggle said quietly understanding who she was looking for.

"Oh. How did you get in here? What's going on?" Her voice was laced with disappointment.

He chuckled, "Lyla," he placed both hands on the bars before him, "plus I wanted to see the girl who knocked me on my ass without laying a finger on me."

She scrunched her face remembering what she did to him in all of this, "I'm sorry, John."

"It's okay. I wish I could've helped you."

"I didn't intend on killing him, John. I just wanted to face him after what he did." She takes a breath not knowing how to explain how to think of all she did to get here.

His eyes drop to her in sympathy. "None of us blame you for your actions. Lyla and I don't understand why they have you like this."

She interrupted, "Perhaps they're trying to ban me from computers too." It was a lame joke, but it got both of them to smile.

The question of where was Oliver was on her lips, but she couldn't ask. She didn't want to know why he had abandoned her. Why didn't he come to check on her?

The silence pierced the room between her and John.

"He's a mess, Felicity. I don't think he can bare seeing you like this. He doesn't want to face you until he figures out how to get you out of this." Diggle's words hurt as she realizes how this actually must be affecting Oliver.

"John, I don't think he can." She wants to cry, but there's no tears left. She's made a mess that not only she is dealing with, but all of her friends too.

"I know, but he doesn't know what else to do. He doesn't have control, and with both know how much Oliver loves to have control."

"Have you heard anything on what they're going to do with me?"

"No," the door opening down the hall caused Diggle to turn that way. Felicity hoped for just one second that it was Oliver, but instead it was a guard telling Diggle it was time to go, "Take care, Felicity. I'll see you soon."

* * *

At some point Felicity had dozed off and awoken to arms pulling her up. She didn't realize where she was at first and let it happen thinking it was Oliver. Till she came back to her senses. The second she started fighting back she felt a needle being shoved into her neck. She was paralyzed instantly letting whoever had her take her from her dark cell.

She awoke tied to a chair and had an uneasy feeling that this wasn't the CIA.

This had to be it. She was going to die.

* * *

To say that Oliver was a wreck was quite the understatement. He couldn't sleep and barely ate. Determined to rescue Felicity. He thought about breaking her out, but knew she wouldn't want to spend her life on the run.

He'd give anything to free her and that scared him. He had never felt like this before for any woman let alone some blonde who constantly got under his skin.

Once Felicity had calmed down he went to see the damage she did that day.

Forensics was taking photographs when he appeared back at the scene of the murder. Malcolm's body lied in a medium size pool of blood. His face was unrecognizable. Splatters had stained the white walls from the impact of chair to skull.

He couldn't believe his Felicity did this. He couldn't believe he let her get to this point. Malcolm deserved it though.

What was he thinking putting her in a safe house thinking that the physical embodiment of a damn house could keep her safe?

The internal battle inside him went on for days. He should go see her. No, he shouldn't go see her. What if she thinks he abandoned her? How could he prove that she wasn't stable without ruining her life? How could he save her?

Oliver had failed Felicity Smoak. The one thing he swore to himself he'd never do.

* * *

He heard they sent her to some high security prison the day he decided he was going to go see her.

Too late, yet again. She probably thought the worst in him. Maybe it was best that way.

If only he had stayed at the safe house or not left drugs she could use to her advantage. The blame game replayed over and over in Oliver's head.

He knew one thing for certain. Without Felicity, his light, the darkness would suck him back in again.

The soulless ruthless man would return.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: So, I uh, took a route with the story that is a little crazy.

* * *

TWO YEARS LATER:

She was running. Faster than she thought her body could carry her. This was _not_ the place to be caught. Or at least not where she wanted to be caught.

She just had to go after him. She wanted him to pay worst then she did. He was evil. Nothing had changed and she was stupid to believe it ever did.

Then again, one could call her the bad guy now. She had not been to America in two years. No one there had heard from her. Come to think of it there's probably a star on the wall for her now. They erased her. They offered her up to The Depot without even blinking.

From torture to becoming one of their heads. She went for the one thing that she could poke at it's weakness. Expose it and ruin it.

Kapiushon.

* * *

Oliver was annoyed that his men woke him from his sleep, but they said it could not wait. What's so important it can't wait till morning? Tiredly, he follows them to the basement of the Bratva mansion.

"We found her on the premises." Are the last words Oliver hears before nothing else matters. He thinks his eyes are deceiving him.

A woman is tied to a chair. Beaten and bruised all over. His men tortured her for information. She wouldn't give anything up. Of course she wouldn't. Blood stained her face and now short blonde hair, but those eyes. Those piercing blue eyes still struck him as hard as they did two years ago.

Felicity Smoak was before him.

He was about to rip his men a new one for touching her. For hurting _her._

"Why the hell did you touch her!" His words were full of rage. His men were audibly confused at the situation.

"Sir, we didn't want to wake you."

"Untie her now. Take her to a guest bedroom and bring me medical supplies to clean her up!"

The men didn't hesitate as they followed Oliver's orders. He said nothing to Felicity as he left the room. He was shocked to say the least. If she'd been let out of jail, why was this her priority?

This wasn't the reunion he had in his head. It was more of her yelling at him for not visiting her. Then Oliver would convince her he was sorry and tell her words he never spoke. That was not happening. The fairytale reunion went straight to hell.

He had to clean her up. Even though he had medical staff that could do it, he had to insure her that she was safe. He went to his room grabbing a sweatshirt of his knowing it would be oversized and comfy for her. Before another thought crossed his mind. What if the CIA sent her here to kill him? He did betray them and ran with the Bratva. Hell he's the fucking Pakhan now.

He swallowed hard. Not wanting to think of that possibility. From what he knew Felicity had been through hell. He doubted she'd so blindly follow the agency now after what they did to her.

Opening the guest bedroom Felicity sat upright on the bed and was cleaning a cut on her hand. She didn't move or acknowledge Oliver's presence at first until the awkward silence was too much to bare.

"How kind of you to save me before your men extracted my teeth." She spat. So she was angry. Great.

"Felicity, how are you here? Why are you here?" Oliver grabbed more gauze to wipe at her face gently.

"To steal information. I'm still CIA." The lie came easier to her then what she thought it would.

"You can't be serious after what they did to you." Who was the 'they' he was referring to?

"Is that why you defected back to Bratva?"

"I have many reasons for being where I am in this organization. The CIA is corrupt. The Depot is stronger then ever and I picked a side I'd have a better chance of living on."

She winced as he took a hold of her right hand. Examining it carefully he realized it was badly sprained.

"My men do this to you?" He asked as he began wrapping it up.

"It's from something else." She wasn't going to give him more than what he needed to hear.

"Care to explain?" He raised an eyebrow at her. God, she was still beautiful. He needed to stop thoughts like that. There was something about this situation that was just off.

"Not to you."

He shook his head. The fire certainly hadn't died in the woman before him. He grabbed the sweatshirt now placing it close to her. "I thought this would be better for you to wear. You can stay in this room and rest. Are you hungry or is there anything I can get you?"

She stood up before punching him in the face with her left hand, hard. Blood spewed out of his nose and mouth. What the fuck?

"That's for leaving me to rot for two years while you became the king of Bratva. Now will your men let me out of here or do I have to punch them out too?"

Disbelief. Shock. Who even was this Felicity Smoak? It was out of character for her to be acting like this. Oliver swallowed tasting the metal of his blood before thinking of something to make her stay.

"Please rest here. We can talk in the morning."

"Do not try to reason with me right now."

A thought crossed his head. Felicity said she was here for information and now after being in the main areas of the mansion she was eager to leave. She had a wireless bug on her. She just had too.

Before he could think about how she would react he lunged at her dropping her face down on the bed with his chest pressed to her back. He pinned her and she tried to break free.

"Where is it?"

"Don't do this!" She yelled. That's when his hands began to roam. And sure enough in between the cups of her bra was a device. Pulling her around he yanked it from her before smashing it and putting it in the bottle of rubbing alcohol.

She sat on the bed now with her eyes wide for the Bratva monster in Oliver had been unleashed.

"What are they looking for?"

"Oliver…" she warned.

"WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR!"

She jumped at his outburst before composing herself, "They're trying to get enough proof to extradite you back to the states. They want to show no mercy." Another lie. She wanted him to find the bug. It would be something the agency would do. She had to prove that she was still CIA to him. Even though he would have no way of checking it out. He'd believe her because he failed her. That was what Felicity was preying on.

"Why are you helping them? You want me dead? Because that's what they'll do Felicity! They'll kill me!" He began pacing not wanting to process this.

"It's complicated." It sure was. He had no idea that the CIA delivered her over to The Depot. He never checked on her. Never came to see the supposed jail cell she was in at a high max facility. He believed whatever lies they told him. She was going to play him like he had played her. She wasn't a toy to throw around anymore.

"Stay," he tried to comfort her by touching her arm gently, "please just for a day."

"They'll come for me. I'm the best asset they have right now." Another lie. The CIA would rather her be dead.

He stared at her for a minute before answering this woman, Felicity Smoak, was a rougher version. This woman had survived two years in jail and now the CIA was using her again to get her to take down Bratva. Shouldn't they be more worried about The Depot literally building an army of mind controlled individuals? Yet here they were attacking Oliver again. He wanted her to answer. To say that she'd stay and never leave. He'd protect her at all costs this time. He'd die for her, damn it. He just needed the time he so foolishly gave away with her back. He needed a bargain anything for that time back. Oliver didn't realize that they were holding each others hands until she pulled away and began to tend to her wounds again. "Do you need me to help you? Is anything broken?" She couldn't be mad at him for being concerned could she? He saw her roll her eyes as she now took of the black long sleeve shirt that covered her. An inaudible gasp left his mouth at the destruction underneath. What had they done to her?

Welts covered her back, most looked like scars though. Her ribs were bruised badly. He was sure one had to be fractured. There was also gunshots wounds that looked old.

Her body was almost as scared as his.

For the first time in two years, Oliver's heart broke again.

Without thinking he stepped closer to her. Expecting her to punch him or tell him to go away, she didn't. He began examining her ribs, concerned something broken would puncture her lungs. He touched her gently as she said nothing, but winced when he applied pressure.

"How long have your ribs been like this?" He met her eyes.

"Two days…" She looked down like she was in trouble. She had him around her finger. Perfect. She had one of her agents pound at her ribs for added effect.

"Felicity," he touched the spot again harder and she hissed, "Are you having trouble breathing?"

She hesitated, "No."

"You're lying." He knew she wasn't going to like the next words out of his mouth, "I need to have a doctor look at you. To make sure you don't have a punctured aorta or lung."

"Look at you getting all medical on me. What do you care Oliver? I infiltrated your organization."

* * *

Oliver was downing Russian Vodka for breakfast. He had somehow convinced a very difficult Felicity to have his personal doctor check her out. She was diagnosed with two fractured ribs, a sprained wrist, two broken fingers, and 5 stitches for the cut on her arm. The treatment was the worst part. Six weeks of restricted activities. Meaning Oliver was literally trapping her in his Bratva mansion. He was protecting her no matter what this time.

She tried to punch him again when he told her she wasn't allowed to leave.

"I will not be a prisoner again! Especially not _your_ prisoner!" She screamed causing her to hiss at the now overwhelming pain in her ribs from the two of them yelling at each other.

Oliver hushed his tone, "Please just rest. You're not a prisoner. You need to heal before trying to single handedly taking down The Depot and Bratva all by yourself."

"I'm not some weak little girl." She spat.

Oliver was dumbfounded at the woman before him. Why would he ever think that of her?

"You know they kidnapped me out of jail and the government paid $10 million dollars to get me back. I'm worth $10 million dollars. In the month The Depot had me they made me a lethal weapon. Told me I would be worth the entire universe if I had better combat training, better this and that. Then they sold me back to the CIA like a piece of garbage," she took a shaky breath to calm herself, "I got this far into your organization's property because I'm fucking smart. If I still wanted to I'd just have to type a few keystrokes on a computer and set the Bratva ablaze." So she embellished a little bit. Some truth had to be apart of this so he wouldn't go digging.

"The Depot had you?" That's the words he gravitated to. Not the ones where she was able to burn Bratva to the ground. Nothing in any reports on her that he made Cisco hack spoke of the Depot having her.

He was livid and she was quite pleased with herself.

They made her lethal. They taught her how to shut her emotions off. How to see that there were ways to get what she wanted causing Felicity to throw any shred of humanity in her away.

She wanted these people to pay for ruining her life.

Oliver being the head of Bratva just made her life easier. Her mission was to take down Bratva, then The Depot. She'd hand everything over to the CIA and make them cut her a deal where she'd be in some kind of witness protection program. She'd live on a secluded island and have to have stuff brought to her by boat. That was her endgame.

* * *

A/N: I've gone wild. Please please let me know your thoughts on this chapter! I've been very uncertain of this being the route I take with the story, but I went there!

Thanks for all your support and kind words. It inspires me so much to keep writing!


	22. Chapter 22

_**I'm back! Sorry I've been gone for so long, enjoy! Follow me on Tumblr: halcyonfanfic**_

* * *

Felicity Smoak never wanted to be anyone's prisoner, but she made an exception here. She needed information on how Oliver Queen had turned into the Pakhan of Solntsevskaya Bratva.

There were the stories that she'd heard her associates collect at The Depot, but no one was really sure of his descension. Her mind was full of The Depot and it's inner workings. It was survive or die. For the first time in her life she thought that death was the only option, but she fought and has a body full of scars to prove it. She was ruthless now. The woman had been through too much. The old Felicity Smoak was dead.

Queen had avoided her in the week she'd been staying at the mansion. She had to say that this wasn't what she expect, but then again she truly wasn't seeing everything. She'd wonder so far before being stopped daily. The guards informed her that Oliver would be notified and she simply would laugh just to roam again the next day. She had flat out told him she was here for information. He didn't let her have access to any technology. It pained her, but proved that he was smart enough to know what she could do with something as simple as an old flip phone.

Her two trusted agents knew her plan. If they didn't hear from her within a month they'd rescue her. She was a high ranking member in The Depot, but no one knew who the leader was but someone named 'Deathstroke.' The curiosity killed her. Any sightings any word about where he would be and the loyal people would follow sending whoever out to get this information. She had only hoped that while she was in Russia he wouldn't come out.

She needed to see who the head was. Who made her into this emotionless monster who wanted to see everyone burn she like she had. There was nothing for Felicity Smoak to lose.

* * *

Rounding a corner she knew she was somewhere important when she was met with guns in her face.

"Chto ty zdes' delayesh'?" _What are you doing here?_ A broad Russian man spoke to her.

She laughed, "Nichego," _nothing,_ she coyly spoke.

He knew better tucking the gun back into his waistband before grabbing her by the arm. Instead of taking her away he pulled her behind the closed doors she so eagerly wanted to see and right in front of Oliver.

"YA snova poymal yeye, boss." _I caught her again, boss._ The man said to Oliver before depositing her in a seat in front of his desk.

Oliver shook his head before raising an eyebrow at the man. "Ostav' nas." _Leave us._

As soon as the door closed he cleared his throat and looked at Felicity who was already challenging him with her look.

"What do you think you're doing?" He was annoyed.

"Well you have me in here with no entertainment." She tried to look sweet to evoke sympathy from him.

"You know why."

"I'm feeling fine. Thought I'd at least be entitled to some fresh air."

He stood up, "My men keep catching you sniffing around where your nose doesn't belong. So, Miss Smoak, what is it that you're looking for?"

"A way to bring you down. Perhaps even a match so I can burn this place to the ground." He'd never take her words seriously and that would be his biggest mistake. She stood challenging him. Her arms crossed over her chest as he leaned on the front of his desk. She could tell he was tired by the bags under his eyes.

"You need to stop this." His words sounded defeated.

"Then let me leave."

"I'm keeping you safe."

"Bullshit Oliver. We both know you're trying to fix the past, but guess what you can't! Let me leave!"

"What are you looking for?"

"A laptop would be nice."

He rolled his eyes at her. He should've known her agreeing so easily would've came with a price. Giving Felicity a laptop would be dangerous. He's have no way of knowing who or what she was communicating with. Something simple looking to him could be her coding overriding his whole system. He couldn't help but stare at her. He missed swimming in her blue eyes, her mouth, and hell even her taste, but he couldn't go there. So he'd let them have this staring contest until someone broke the silence. "You and I both know why you're not getting any sort of technology."

"You could monitor me…" It was an innocent suggestion.

"No," he couldn't let this continue, "Quit snooping around looking for trouble or I'll have you locked up in that damn room."

She laughed, "You think you can boss me around. That I'll do whatever you say just because we had a thing two years ago." She approached the desk and most importantly, Oliver. Her objective was to find something sharp. Her plan of action was rash, but it would get her point across and get her out of there with exactly what she needed.

"What are you doing?" He questioned the second she was close.

"Thought you'd like to stare at me up close." She grabbed his left arm and felt him stiffen. She had him on edge. She touched his face as his eyes closed this was her window. She spotted a letter opener laid close to her, but she'd have to reach around Oliver to get it. Typical of a Russian mob boss to have a letter opener.

By time he opened his eyes again she had her hand on the letter opener and them spinned around. She had the opener pointed at him as the man stupidly raised his arms in defense.

"Put it down, Felicity." Oliver's voice was soft as he lowered his arms not taking her as a threat.

"Not a chance," she took a step closer to him. In another twist of events, he grabbed a gun from his waistband and pointed it at her head. There was the Bratva monster she was hoping to release. Without blinking she sliced her wrist. It wasn't deep enough to kill her, but deep enough to get a point across.

He didn't know what to do. The gun in his hand slowly lowered as he stared at her in disbelief with his mouth unhinged.

Her blood trickled on the floor like the tick of a clock passing time.

"I'm not playing games," he growled.

"Good, neither am I." She charged at him disarming him in seconds. Pointing the gun now at him, "On your knees."

"There's cameras in here. As soon as my men see this they'll come for you and they will kill you."

"Well you'll just bark at them not to. On your knees or I'll shoot your head off!" She wanted the control in this situation. All she needed was enough time to pop out the hard drive in his computer. That would be more than enough information to satisfy both her and The Depot.

Being that his stupid guard dogs didn't take her as anything more than some annoying blonde meant she'd at least have 20 more minutes before she'd be ambushed. Surprisingly, he complied dropping to his knees below her. Before her was the man that was infatuated with her two years ago. The man that didn't save her before she killed Malcolm Merlyn. The man who had regret for a woman who was his light. He burnt her out. He was weak before her whereas she was a phoenix rising from her past mistakes. There were people who needed to pay. She had Oliver Queen at her mercy. How the hell did he even become Pakhan when he fell to his knees for a woman? She got to the computer with the gun still pointed at Oliver's head.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up."

"Felicity, what happened to you? I can help you."

"You're pathetic. Nothing but a weak man who isn't even trying to save his own mob." She was making sure everything was accessible before she used the letter opener to access the hard drive. In the one second she took her eyes off of him he had her. A knife being thrown at her thigh which she didn't miss in time as she ripped the hard drive out of the tower.

She hissed as he was lunged at her now as she secured the hard drive in her jacket. This was it. She stabbed him in the left side with the letter opener as he grunted in pain. He was trying to get the gun out of her hand. He pushed her over the desk. She kicked him off causing him to stumble back to the ground. As he lied on his back she pushed one foot on his chest as she towered above him with the gun pointed at his head.

"Let me out of here clean or I'll kill every single one of your thugs."

"There's not enough bullets in there for that."

"You foolish man thinking all I need is bullets to kill." She didn't let him get anymore words as she bent over kicking the butt of the gun to his head rendering him unconscious.

* * *

She was at the safe house waiting for Logan, her fellow Depot agent, as she stitched up her thigh. Oliver had turned into a pathetic little puppy. Clearly unable to protect his own mansion. She couldn't get over that he just let her leave with the hard drive. It was currently being scanned for any viruses before she opened it, but with the amount of data that was supposedly on it, there had to be something to burn Oliver and the Bratva.

"What the hell happened to you?" Logan stormed through the door.

She rolled her eyes, "Got into a knife fight with Queen, you know typical stuff."

He sat across from her eyeing her computer, "So what's this little gem?"

"Oliver Queen's office computer hard drive." She got up slowly to put the medical supplies away.

"Deathstroke is going to be very pleased with you."

She rolled her eyes again, "Let's hope there's something on there and he didn't play me."

Logan ignored her playing on his phone as she went to change clothes. There was a look on his face when she came back to the main room. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Let's go to Prague!" He was eager, too eager.

"Care to say why Logan? My leg is saying no." Her leg now terribly ached and so did her ribs. She kind of wished she left Oliver with a bullet wound.

"Deathstroke is going to be at a party. This is our chance Smoak. You can hand deliver him that hard drive."

"I'd be incredibly stupid to show up with that. I need to request a meeting…"

* * *

The loud music bumped through her skull as she entered the party. She had shot her leg up with enough pain medication as she could. This was not something she was going to miss. No matter what coming face to face with Deathstroke tonight was going to happen.

Logan was on comms guiding her around. The venue was fancy with marble walls and all sorts of balconies and secret areas. Exactly why someone like Deathstroke would choose this venue.

She wore a long sparkly black dress with her hair sleek and straight. Her lips stained red. A knife adorned the garter belt on her leg. There was no definite on what or who she would encounter. Other members of The Depot were here. She simply nodded back at them when they recognized her. Briefly she wondered if any CIA agents were sent here for this event. Deathstroke had not come out in months. Everyone here was someone who wanted or needed something from the head of The Depot. She guessed their were followers here to be welcomed into its terrible organization. Intelligences agencies from around the world needing to put a face to the name. Mobs here to learn if they should be friend or foe. The list went on.

She was at two glasses of champagne when she saw her window of opportunity. Shado, one of the woman who had trained her was there, the only time she came out of The Depot's compound was when Deathstroke was out. Felicity walked over to the tall Asian woman with brown wavy hair. She was young probably only in her mid thirties. She was stunning which is exactly why she was probably so close to Deathstroke.

"Felicity!" It was a warm welcome followed by a hug until her expression and tone turned dark, "What are you doing here?"

"You know exactly why I'm here, Shado. So tell me is it true?" Felicity raised her eyebrow as she took a sip of champagne. She could tell the woman before her was unsure if she should answer.

"He's not happy with you. I don't think introductions would be a good thing tonight."

"Because of my Bratva plan?" She needed more information to swing this in her direction.

"That and since he saw you're here this soon, he doesn't think you got anything. Are you here to beg for mercy?"

Felicity could tell by the way that Shado eyed her that she wanted to make her bleed. "The opposite. I wanted to request a meeting back at headquarters, but I figured this would be a good celebration too."

The woman's face was ten different shades of confused. "I beg your pardon?"

"You tell Deathstroke that I not only have information from Bratva, but I'm sitting on the Pakhan's computer's hard drive." Felicity spoke adding a smart smirk to the end of her sentence.

"I'll see what I can do." And with that the woman disappeared into the crowd.

Two hours since Felicity had spoken to Shado and she wondered how drunk she would be by time Deathstroke wanted to see her. Maybe he'd wait till she was back at the compound. Logan had joined her for a little bit but was too busy try to pick up a woman to sleep with.

Felicity had enough of the game tonight. If Deathstroke wanted her he would've requested her presence by now. She left before she was too drunk to stumble back to the safe house. It was comforting to her to be alone in an unknown city. There was just something about the feel of the stone buildings and the smell in the air.

The comforting feeling soon left her when she felt someone tailing her.

Her first thought was that it was Bratva.

Her second was that it was Deathstroke.

Instead of heading in the direction of the safe house she started going far left from it towards what she hope where people would be at this hour.

This was not the dress to run in. She cursed at herself for leaving without telling Logan. He was the brother she never had. He would've had comms in till she was safe.

"You can stop trying to run, Miss Smoak. This is not ideal, but you requested a meeting and left before I could accept the offer."

She stopped dead in her tracks with the sound of a man's voice coming from behind her. Turning she saw a bulky man in a suit with a dark head of hair. This was Deathstroke.

"I'm not in the best state of mind to conduct that meeting right now. You left me with booze for far too long." She challenged crossing her arms. If he was supposed to intimidate her it was not working.

He huffed shaking his head, "Well indeed you are a spitfire. I'll get to the point, Shado told me you have the Pakhan's hard drive, is that correct?"

"I do."

"How long will it take you to go through it?"

"Depending on the size maybe a week, but anytime sensitive information I can have to you by tomorrow morning." She wanted to be the right hand to this man. Take him out by gaining his trust learning everything she could and hitting him where he wouldn't expect it.

"Perfect. I expect you to deliver that information in person tomorrow morning?"

"Of course sir."

With that Deathstroke left Felicity alone in the alley, or so she thought.

A clapping sound kept getting louder and she turned to see Oliver standing there.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Congratulating you for choosing a side I never thought you would."

"I'm selling you out and you are congratulating me?" What was he up to?

"Maybe that's what I want Felicity. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I went to the Bratva as an out? It's way easier to fake a death on this side then it was in the CIA."

"What's your point Oliver?"

"I did some digging since you appeared on my property. The American government has you listed as deceased."

Unlike Oliver, Felicity had checked on her past life in Starling City. She knew that The Depot still had Prometheus killing people. It wasn't as frequent as before, but now more random than ever.

Helena had ended up in jail for trying to go after Prometheus. The CIA sure liked sending their female agents to jail to silence them. She couldn't find much information on Diggle or Barry, or really anyone that was still involved with the agency as that was all on the CIA's servers. She didn't want them to know anything about her whereabouts. Cisco would figure out it was her and that would create questions she didn't want to answer.

She was torn out of her thoughts as Oliver suddenly grabbed at his neck and dropped to his knees. She twisted her head and realized that he'd been hit with a tranquilizer dart.

Logan appeared, "God he just couldn't shut up."

Felicity punched him in the arm, "Why did you do that?"

"We can tie him up with a bow and hand him over with the information in the morning. Or is that too cruel since he's been in your pants."

Now he was slapped across the face by her, "Are you forgetting that I'm your superior Farrow?"

* * *

She walked into The Depot sharply at nine in the morning. In her hand was a flash drive with all the buildings Bratva conducted business in, two of their bank accounts, and a list of employees. Even Felicity was impressed with what she gathered already.

Queen's body was not being delivered to Deathstroke this morning. She had Logan toss him in a dumpster. Ruining his suit and his ego.

Her heels clicked on the concrete floor as she walked towards Shado's office who would take her to Deathstroke.

"Morning Smoak," Shado greeted her and she responded before the two set off to Deathstroke's office. The security was unreal. Keypads, retina scans, and sets of guards all leading up to his office.

Shado knocked twice on the door and told Felicity to wait as she went inside. The woman appeared in less than a minute prompting her to go in.

Once Felicity entered she quickly realized that it was just her and Deathstroke alone in his office.

"Miss Smoak, I'd like to formally introduce myself as I'd like you not to see me as 'Deathstroke,' Slade Wilson." The man put his hand out for Felicity to shake before he motioned for her to take a seat.

"I knew taking you from the American government would pay off. I'm proud to see how you've succeeded here in The Depot."

She had a million questions to ask but instead replied with, "Thank you sir."

* * *

Once the meeting was over she was back at her apartment combing through Oliver's hard drive.

She hacked into two of his assets in which she slowly started taking money out of into an offshore account in her alias. By time any of his goons figured out that the accounts were being drained he'd be down millions. Another pin through his ego bubble.

There were American branches of the Bratva yet. One of Oliver's biggest notes was that he took out the Starling City and Central City branches.

The algorithm she was running to conclude how exactly he became Pakhan was almost done. She feared the answers, but also wanted to relish in it.

Her computer made a ding indicating that the algorithm was done thirty minutes later. She scrolled through the report and was shocked.

According to numerous correspondence it was deemed that Oliver Queen was a Bratva captain. When the former Pakhan, Anatoly, was killed Oliver had risked his life to save him which brought him in high regards with the Bratva. Felicity knew that was a lie. They had invited him to Moscow for an important meeting of the course of seven months which he denied. Two days after Felicity was in jail, Oliver boarded a plane to Moscow. Three days after Felicity was in jail, 47 members of believed American Bratva in Starling City and National City were found dead. A month after Felicity was in jail, Oliver became Pakhan. He had complete control of Moscow to the point where the government was obeying his orders. Not a single American agent or citizen was allowed in unless he approved it. There was emails with Shado, of The Depot, about accords wanting to be made since Queen was the new Pakhan. Oliver had denied them and wanted no involvement with The Depot.

Felicity gasped when the truth was laid upon her.

The Depot had killed his parents and currently had his sister Thea, captive.

The Bratva had Grant Wilson, Slade's son captive in retaliation.

This was why the Undertaking and Prometheus hadn't been very active causes. The Depot had sent her to tear down Bratva because she had the connection to Queen. Deathstroke, Slade Wilson, or whoever he was was using Felicity to find his son. He had to be.

She still had control over Helix. They rescued her from the American government to use her for their own gains. She was the pawn in Slade Wilson's game.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello! Thanks for your support of this story.**

* * *

How could she be so stupid? She knew they wanted her because of her computer skills and the whole controlling of Helix thing. Though to take it this far without her realizing? Was she crazy?

She jumped out of her chair from the desk. Quickly, she clambered over to her cabinet pulling syringes out and other medical supplies. She was going to draw her blood and see what was lurking upon it. What if they had injected her with Verdant, the mind control serum? There was so many days after training that she was passed out dead to the world. They could've done it then...

Shaking with rage she wondered another question. Had she seen Thea Queen. Was everything under her nose this whole time and she had just been oblivious to it?

No, Felicity was too smart. She just wasn't paying attention to all the facts before her.

The scan on her blood came up empty. Cursing she threw the vial across the floor. Watching as the crimson liquid shattered on the dark hardwood floor.

She needed to physically have Helix to gain her some power in this game.

* * *

She quickly explained to Logan a far fetched mission she needed to go on and not to question her.

Was she about to climb through the ceiling of a Russian government building to retrieve Helix again? Yes. This time without the help of a Bratva member in his territory. He's going to know the second she removes Helix.

Right now it held too many weapons in it. This was the only way she knew how to have some control in this situation. Slade would be at her throat once he knew she had the program. Hell everyone would be at her throat. She was sure that The Depot wouldn't protect her as well as the CIA did. It didn't help she was also going to do it in broad daylight.

Felicity braced herself from the all too familiar mission ahead. The sun was out and she felt it radiate off her skin in the back of the cab. It felt like she was suffocating with the coat she wore full of weapons tucked inside. Her foot nervously bumped up and down probably annoying the driver. She never was this nervous for missions. There was always backup for her. But this time she was alone. They could consider her going rogue. There would be consequences that she would have to face alone. That's what scared her. Not the bullets. Not the people, but the fact that she could get locked up again like a wild animal.

The second the cab slowed up she breathed one final deep breath before he came to a stop. She paid the fare and got out of the car. There was no turning back now.

Pulling out her tablet she disabled any alarms that would be triggered in a forced entry situation.

Heading to the security booth she put on her best smile before shooting the guard with a tranquilizer dart. She had to show that there would be some signs of life after this. Pulling his badge from his shirt she used it to get into the front doors. Greeted by gunfire, perfect. Her innocent looks usually bought her time, but they knew she was here and not for good. There wasn't time to waste. She threw two smoke bombs at them before ducking down to find the door she needed. Once there she scanned the badge and began running.

She estimated that Bratva would be here in ten minutes, maybe sooner if they realized it was Felicity. All she needed was to pull the hard drive out of it's safe keeping spot and run.

Rushing to the room and scanning the badge it was denied. She cursed this was not what she wanted to happen. She pulled out her tablet yet again to see if she could access the door. Trying five times she came up empty handed. Next she shot at the door handle. It was as if she throwing a pen at it. She was going to be made. One more code. The code that would distinguish her from the rest. The door popped open as gunfire found her yet again. She was currently locked in on the safe side. Her program had literally locked her in. Everything about this would have made the old Felicity run away, but the new Felicity had to have Helix for herself. Nothing would stop her now.

The gunfire was angry outside the door. She heard men screaming in Russian. The word Bratva tossed around. From her understanding they weren't alerted until she was charging for this door. She had more time.

Easily she found her way to Helix and ripped it from its womb. Once it was secured on her she went for the piece of information she hoped was here. It was pushing her luck but she didn't care.

The Bratva had stored information here on some of their members of the brotherhood and other various illegal activities.

She had found it and also heard it at the same time.

"KTO VESHCHI V ETOT NOMER? POCHEMU NE MOZHET BYT' DOSTUP? YA POLUCHAYU VAS PAL'TSY I SDELAYU, CHTO VY VYBIRAYETE NA IKH.

 _WHO THE FUCK IS IN THAT ROOM? WHY CAN'T WE HAVE ACCESS? I WILL RIP YOUR FINGERS OFF AND MAKE YOU CHOKE ON THEM._ "

It was Kapiushon.

* * *

"Wake up, Smoak!" Logan boomed through her apartment. Waking her as he banged every door possible. She wanted to kill him. Shaking off the high of having Helix she sat up grabbing her robe and quickly tossing it on before entering her living area.

He stood with his short brown curly hair, dark eyes blank, and worn a smirk on his face full of scruff. His arms were crossed he stance tall. She was in trouble.

"What Farrow?" She stood before him for all of two seconds before rolling her eyes and heading to her coffee pot.

"You stole Helix. You have Helix." He spat.

"Yes. And you're here to what? Threaten me? Did Deathstroke send you here?" She placed the coffee pot on and then turned to lean her back on the counter. He could be here to kill her. She was giving him the opening to her chest. Straight to her heart.

"I'm here to tell you that Oliver Queen stomped into one of The Depot's off site operations offices and practically burned the place down." He smirked. So he wasn't here to kill her.

"I take it he's mad?" She smiled.

"Shado had to intervene. What do you know?"

"Why would I share that with you?" She never told Logan more than what she needed to.

"You met Deathstroke."

"I gave him information. Now I'm disposable."

"Queen has his son. He has his sister. Come on Felicity. Don't label me as an idiot."

How could Logan know when she had more rank then him and had the hard drive? "What are you talking about?"

"You are going to think of me as a man who knows nothing. Felicity, he made sure you didn't have much information about Queen so that when you went to the mansion you wouldn't ruin things. You're little findings may have come as a shock to you, but I've known. We have Thea Queen working for us." He stopped as she was now silent. How could she miss all of this. As if Logan heard her thoughts he answered, "You were too set on burning Oliver to realize that the bigger picture was in front of you."

She wanted to throw her cup of coffee directly at Logan's head. Hell she wanted to melt Deathstroke's face off. She was so blind.

* * *

She found herself at a bar drinking tequila. She knew her enemies, picked a side, and still got backed into a corner.

A plane ticket was booked under an alias. She told Logan she needed space but what she really wanted was to rewrite Helix somewhere. It couldn't be this destructible device when the humans were doing enough damage themselves. It had to serve a purpose of exposing truths or some justified bullshit. At least that's what Felicity hoped.

"Scotch on the rocks," it was _him_.

Stalking her probably since no one else could give him answers. It's been a week since she took Helix from his territory which meant she was good at hiding. She felt him take the seat next to her and then turn to her but she didn't move. Staring directly ahead at the bottles of alcohol that lined the wall. She felt good. She wasn't about to let him ruin it.

The blade she felt pushed against her side burst that thought bubble a minute later.

"Follow me and we won't have a problem." His voice was laced with sin.

She laughed. The bar was busy. This wasn't Russia. Deathstroke had men following her all week and she was sure they were here tonight too. If anything he would be the one with a problem.

Turning her head she looked at him. There were deep bags under his eyes. She felt him shift the knife closer.

"There in the corner behind you is a man in a grey shirt." Her eyes looked behind him and then to the right before continuing, "And to our right is another one in a black sweater. You attempt anything and you'll be choking on your own blood mister Queen." Her voice was laced with poison. She simply took another sip of her drink before setting the glass down gently.

"You have something that belongs to me."

She laughed, "that may be, but they aren't yours anymore."

"They?" He questioned.

"Oh maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that we have Helix _and_ your sister. Pretty little thing they shot all up with Verdant." She didn't know if it was true, but it got the rise out of him she wanted to.

He slammed his fist into the table. Moving the knife now to her neck she just sat there. His past with her would prevent him from doing anything. He was too emotional. Customers around started screaming and running. The two men moved closer in as she placed her hand in the air to stop them.

"He won't hurt me boys. Isn't that right, Mister Queen?" She toyed.

"You haven't met the monster I can be, Miss Smoak." His voice was dark.

She smirked, "That's cute because you've met mine. You know how much she likes to bash skulls in."

He didn't know how to react after that comment. So Felicity stood up and slowly pushed his arm with the knife away from her.

He let her go clean, but Deathstroke's men didn't.

She knew this was coming, but was hoping not to face it until she returned with the improved version of Helix. Well whatever happened she would have to deal with.

The men drove her to the headquarters of The Depot. It was in plain sight inside a power plant. All of the buildings large and full of steel. They went through the security checkpoints and reached the building that housed The Depot. From the outside it looked like a simple three story building, but inside it's concrete walls braced more than what meets the eye.

She passed the front cubicles that were a facade to make it look like an office incase it was ever intruded. More security to the back door that housed all the rooms for offices of agents who were higher up in the ranks of The Depot. Then it was time to go to Shado's office, which guarded the high security of Deathstroke's.

They took her directly in the office. Slade Wilson was waiting for her. He gestured for her to sit.

"Well Miss Smoak. Would you care to explain yourself? I've given you a week."

She smirked. This Felicity Smoak did not have to explain herself to any man. "Explain what exactly Mr. Wilson?" She played innocent.

"I knew you were the only one who could control Helix. You were the only one who knew how to hack into its origin and steal it. What I did not expect was for you to steal it back all for yourself. So tell me, was it to piss off Queen?"

"Maybe," she was coy.

"Smoak, you are a smart woman with a lot of power in her hands right now. I suggest you use it wisely." He threatened her. His warm personality towards her turning dark.

"Tell me sir, why wasn't I informed of the Thea Queen plan when my subordinate was aware? I've made my allegiance to you very clear yet I was kept uninformed on this matter." She crossed her legs in the chair. Her shoulders becoming more straight; she was confident.

"What Farrow is unaware of is that Oliver Queen is holding my son captive in retaliation."

"And you didn't think that me knowing this would've helped you get your son back? You know what I can do."

"Thea Queen seems to have adapted quite well to The Depot's lifestyle. I wanted to fully immerse her before throwing her back to her brother."

This back and forth was annoying her. "If you are worried that I care for Queen you are wrong."

"That's not the problem here, Felicity. Why do you have Helix to yourself? The Depot and the Bratva had a deal." He was growing impatient.

There wasn't a reason for her to lie, "I wanted some control in this war."

"What are your intentions with Helix?"

"Just to have it in my possession nothing more." She lied easily.

Watching Slade the lines on his forehead into intense lines. He was thinking what to do with her.

"You think you can get my son back for me?"

That certainly wasn't what Felicity was expecting. "More than likely."

"Whatever you have to do, do it. Now leave."

She didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

Felicity never thought that she would end up here again. Freezing her ass off she slowly moved through the woods. She was becoming a professional at entering Russian property.

The Bratva mansion stood tall as she was just on the edge of the tree line. It was dark out but the building was well lit. Moving with precision she headed towards the left of the house. She wanted to waltz right in to Oliver's office but knew that wasn't going to be easy. She wanted to make an elaborate, but sly entrance.

So she knocked on the front door.

* * *

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	24. Chapter 24

**Hello! I promise more continuous updates as I'm working to wrap this story up! I also changed my username on Tumblr for the moment cause I kind of don't like what it was, it is .com now! So feel free to follow if you don't or ask anything on there! Enjoy!**

* * *

Oliver Queen had many issues to deal with right now in the Bratva. There was an attack on one of the shipments of weapons. Keeping the Russian members from finding out he killed Anatoly. The Depot up his ass for not following their partnership. Then at the top of that list was Felicity Smoak.

He put her in the mess she was in. Practically made her the monster she currently was. The woman who cared so deeply has shoved her emotions so far down that he didn't even know if he could help her. Then there's the part of him that once to help her. He never cared for the girl until he let her into his world. There was a shift that night she patched him up on her bathroom floor. The more their relationship progressed the more he protected her. When she bashed in Malcolm's skull — he didn't even know where to begin. As she turned to darkness so did he.

* * *

She wanted to fling herself at him. Cause something to show she cared and was faking hating him this whole time, but she couldn't bear to do it. He had left her in jail to rot. He was off into the Bratva while the Depot was waiting to swoop in and take her from the CIA. That made her hate him. She couldn't shake it.

She sat in his office now sipping water. Two of his thugs greeted her at the door with their guns drawn. Clearly, they had let her get this far. Queen had to have wanted her in. He was asleep so she waited for them to wake him. She could only imagine his reaction when they told him it was Felicity Smoak.

Hearing footsteps headed towards her she knew it was him. She heard him enter the room and shut the door, but she didn't dare look back. He stopped for a second perhaps to observe the situation before him before rounding his desk now sitting and facing her. She wasn't budging. He had to talk first.

"What game are you playing?" He questioned her bluntly. She took him in before replying. His hair messy and clothes were wrinkled.

"The game where you give Slade his son back. You get Thea back and once she is secured I give you Helix." She smirked.

He studied her again. As if he was having trouble to find the appropriate words for this situation. "You're bluffing."

"I'm not." It was quite the bargain she was proposing.

"I have a purpose for Slade's son."

"He will kill your sister if my deadlines aren't met."

"Then I'll kill his son." He stood up now coming in front of the desk to stand in front of her as he leaned back against it. "I don't think you have any loyalties and that's what makes you dangerous Felicity. I know better than to get into bed with you. Can you say the same about you and Slade?"

"That's funny coming from the man who was pulled into the Bratva keeps remaining so loyal to it instead of Starling."

"I don't have to explain myself to you." He huffed. She had him agitated. Good.

She had wondered why these Russians were so loyal to the outsiders. He was a good fighter, she'd give him that, but there had to be more of a reason. He killed Anatoly for the CIA and had said he was his good friend. What would Oliver have done to get in such good standings with him?

"You need to leave," Oliver said bringing her out of her thoughts. This would be the part where it got messy.

She stood now before him mere inches away from his face. "You don't understand Oliver. I can't leave without you playing my game," she batted her eyelashes for added effect.

He crossed his arms over his chest, "And if I don't play?"

"You'll have to kill me."

"Felicity…" He trailed off now looking panicked. His hands ruffled through his hair as he tried to approach her but she took steps back.

His brow furrowed, "I'm not going to hurt you."

She stood before him strong unwavering her stance. Felicity Smoak was not backing down.

He rolled his eyes, "Follow me," he commanded.

"Why? So you can kill me somewhere else?"

"Please."

She wanted everything in the world to be right. She wanted Malcolm Merlyn alive and to have never found out that the agency had him, but that was all in the past now.

She had to move forward. She had to save some of the world from the bad by being bad. That's how she justified it. The good side was putting up a fight, but always losing the war. She wanted to be on the winning side; whichever side that may be. So she followed Oliver. She just needed to get Slade's son out tonight and she wouldn't be dead.

Oliver tugged her hand and she followed him through parts of the mansion she wasn't able to get to the last time.

They went down a couple of flights of stairs to a place that looked like a dungeon, but it gave off a warm cozy vibe that made Felicity feel uneasy. They stopped three steps up from the landing of the room.

"Grant," Oliver said as he turned to Felicity with uncertain eyes.

Her brow furrowed at the realization that he took her directly to Slade's son. Movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn.

"Oliver," the young boy spoke. He was tall and lanky, not like his father in any sense, but the more she looked at him the more she saw how he was Slade's son.

Grant kept his distance from them. Oliver nodded at Grant and left Felicity immediately. Was the boy going to fight her? What was this?

"You must be confused Felicity as to why I've asked for you to come down here alone. You see, Oliver isn't keeping me hostage like my father thinks. I chose to be here. There are sides in a war and I chose to be on a side I could have a chance on. Yes, my father would fight like hell to protect me, but he never really could. We've kept tabs on you. I might not have your level of computer skills, but it was enough to create a digital footprint of your paths."

He stepped closer to her and she felt like a caged animal stuck on the stairs.

"Oliver and I first thought you were infected with Verdant, but now it seems PTSD has caught up with you and you're shoving your rational thoughts in the back of your mind."

She laughed at his diagnosis. "You know nothing about me, but what Oliver has told you. The Bratva is going to be nothing more than a memory soon. Why not align with your father?"

"You're only aligned with him because his people made you feel better. You lust for control. You don't want to be confined. I'm truly sorry Felicity, but we are pulling you out."

She felt herself go weak. Her body failing her. She cursed in her head at her stupidity. They poisoned the water she drank earlier. She felt herself falling, but never remembered hitting the ground when the darkness took over.

* * *

She awoke on a hard bed. Prison. She was back in prison, but upon opening her eyes she realized this was its own prison. Sitting up slowly she took in her surroundings. It was a small room with a red couch, a black end table on the side of it with a larger table in front of it. There was a mini fridge. A door she assumed was a bathroom and another the way out of this hell. Oliver had imprisoned her with the help of Grant Wilson. Bastards.

She was a caged animal. A fragile piece of prey they knew they could cage and break down. What was the point? She had already been to hell and back. The blood had stained her in ways that can't be cleaned. There was no saving her.

Hearing movement she stood up. What would Oliver Queen do to her?

The door opened to her room with Grant walking in then Oliver. The door shut once they were in.

"What the hell is this?" She demanded.

"I made a move Felicity against the Depot. They retaliated." Oliver spoke as if his words were failing him.

"What are you talking about?" God, her head was pounding.

"Deathstroke and Prometheus blew up Starling. The whole city is leveled." It was Grant who spoke now.

"The Markov Device," Felicity muttered, "If I wasn't being held against my will, I could've stopped it!" She yelled this was unfortunate.

She saw Oliver rub his thumb on his hand. He was fidgeting clearly upset.

What happened to the friends she left behind? They watched her for any reaction, but she wouldn't give it to them. Not now. She shoved the rational thoughts away. She had to survive.

"They did this because I took the Depot's best asset for myself," Oliver spoke again.

"What about your sister?"

"I have her covered. Do you really have no empathy for your home? Have they ruined you that much?" He stepped forward now and she saw Grant roll his eyes. He was in front of her and reached to lightly touch her cheek. She wouldn't succumb to the touch not even flinch. He was playing a game that she didn't want to be involved in. He could be lying to her and someone from the Depot would be waiting to kill her for not bringing Grant back.

"I highly doubt your sister is alive if you pulled me from the Depot."

"Felicity, you're the leverage. You're Helix."

Helix. She should've destroyed the damn thing if it was always going to come down to this. She could lie though.

"Helix is destroyed. You didn't think I'd stupidly let it live in this world anymore did you?"

"You're lying."

She hesitated, "And so are you."

He grabbed her roughly by the sides of her face, "You know I can't lie to you. I can't watch you destroy yourself anymore. They've ruined me and I'll be damned if I let them ruin you." He was _furious._

She pushed his chest getting him to back off of her. "That's great Oliver. Wish you had the same feeling when you let me rot in jail as you went off to join the Bratva."

"You don't understand." His eyes dodged hers.

"Then explain to me why you left me!"

"Because there was nothing I could do to help you! Langley had made up their minds. The second they saw what you had done — they were putting you away for a long time and I couldn't let that happen."

"What are you talking about?"

"I made a deal with the Depot and Bratva would coexist peacefully. To ensure good fortune I made a deal with them to pull you out. I made you Depot. I'm trying to fix it okay! I fucked up!" The veins in his forehead popped with his rage.

She wanted to laugh. To punch him. Something. Anything to ease the insanity.

"You made me a monster." Her voice was steady and lethal. She glared at him. Seeing the emotions swirl in his blue eyes as he tried to compose himself.

"Felicity, please let me fix this."

"How can I trust you when you are literally holding me hostage in your damn basement?"

"I wanted to keep you safe Felicity. And I had a very fucked up way of doing it, but here we are. I betrayed everyone for you. The Bratva was the only place I could have control."

"How honorable of you Oliver. I lost everything. My mother. My friends. My job. My damn reputation. I thought you'd be there for me in the end, but here we are."

"Felicity, I am still here. Everything's not so black and white as you want it to be."

She rolled her eyes. How could he justify this? God, she didn't even know who she was anymore. "You're still keeping me prisoner," her skin was crawling. Lock her in the house but in a cell it made her want to die.

"If I let you out you're going to run. You killed many of my men last time I left you loose in here."

"If what you're telling me is true. That there's no Starling. Thea is safe and Grant is fine. I won't go anywhere. I'm sick and tired of being backed into corners. I don't want to pick a side. I don't want to fight anymore. So do what you wish with me, Oliver." Her voice cracked. Her control breaking thanks to a familiar feeling of safety with Oliver. She had too much blood on her hands now for her to even process.

Her face had the unfamiliar sensation of tears streaming down them. She was breaking apart. Completely defeated. The blonde girl never should've got this far let alone be alive. She'd let Oliver have her. Control her because she couldn't stand the invisible gun held to her head any longer.

She felt him cross the small room, as he backed into the corner to let her talk, his arms wrapping around her small now shaking frame.

Comfort. Warmth. Safety. Emotions.

Felicity Smoak was letting the Bratva have her.

* * *

Her head throbbed, but her body felt better than the night before. The surface she was on was softer. Was she dreaming? Was she out of prison?

Her eyes opened. The room was dark with a little light that she could see coming from the corner. She dare move her head. Just a few more minutes for her eyes to adjust. _He_ sniffled. Oliver was somewhere in this room with her awake. The footsteps got closer she could see his back headed to a door which he slowly opened and peeked around it. She heard soft whispers as she let herself sit up. There was no more sleep for her as her mind was too curious about this situation.

He peered back in softly shutting the door. She felt him glare at the bed when he realized she was now awake.

"Did I wake you?" His voice was soft, not full of rage like the night before.

She shook her head. He stepped closer sitting on the edge of the bed giving her space.

"I've been trying to get ahold of Diggle or anyone we knew from Starling, but it seems harder than I expected. I warned them of a possible attack, but the death tolls. They didn't evacuate anyone." He looked down. She could see the outline of his face in the dimly lit room. He continued, "I couldn't leave you in there another night. I didn't want to. You're in my room. There's a heavy presence of guards. You're safe."

He wanted her to know she was protected by literally placing her in his own bed. Oliver Queen just kept surprising her.

"Do you need anything? Food? I don't know when you ate last…" he trailed off. The man felt guilty for not feeding her. For god's sake what the hell was happening. Why was she okay with this?

She had to admit she was hungry, but the last time her water was drugged so how could she trust the food?

"You drugged my water," The words came out before she could stop them.

"Actually, Grant did and I gave him hell. I'm hungry as well so whatever I have them make I guaranteed you will be fine."

"What time is it?" The room didn't show signs that it was daylight outside.

"It's nearly eleven at night. You've been asleep for a day."

"Oh...I'll have breakfast food. If that's alright?"

"Of course."

* * *

She and Oliver ate in their comfortable silence after the food was brought to them. It reminded her of past meals she had shared with him. Her mind was racing. What if everything he told her was a lie? Did she have anything to lose? She was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe this was her happy ending. In Bratva with Oliver. She'd be the Pakhan's woman or something of those sorts. Could she even let him in enough to know her as before? This was insane.

Felicity's silence was unlike her. They both knew that. Yet the only sounds were a fork hitting the porcelain plate and chewing.

He broke the silence, "We have to discuss Helix."

There it was the other shoe dropping quick.

She was picking at the remaining food on her plate and with the mention of Helix decided she was done. "What about it?"

His eyes turned hard. Warm friendly Oliver was gone. This was the Pakhan before her. "I need to know where it is."

"I don't think you understand. It's mine. I'm not giving it to you or anyone on this planet." She spat out.

"They're going to keep coming for you," he flatly stated.

"Let them."

"They will kill you for it."

"They may kill me, but they will never be able to unlock Helix ever again. I'm betting they know that Oliver, which is why I'm still alive."

He stormed out of the room. She presumed to tell whoever he was answering to that he couldn't get Helix. This safe bubble was fake.

* * *

She managed to get dressed a couple of hours later from her bag that was conveniently in Oliver's room. Now it was time to get to a computer.

Oliver had men everywhere. She could take them out, but she wasn't about to repeat her previous actions. She had to have some control of herself.

Exiting the room she was asked in Russian what her intentions were. Once she explained they made her wait for an escort.

Grant.

"Felicity, you look well. Come with me and we can discuss things further." He motioned for her forward.

"Does Oliver trust you?"

"I'd like to think so. He's trusting me with you right now."

He took her to a room that had a fireplace in it with two couches facing each other. It felt cozy. He was trying to make her feel comfortable. Convenient after he drugged her. He sat at one couch and she sat at the other.

"Logan Farrow has become a problem since your absence from the Depot has been notable. We'd like you to check in."

"He can go to hell."

"Usually I'd agree, but he managed to get a shot at Oliver and Oliver is not very happy."

"Is Oliver alright?"

"He's fine. He got in contact with John Diggle. I believe he's arranging to bring him here. Do you want a phone to call Logan?"

"Yes please."

Once she called Logan confirming that she was in fact fine she deciding to roam the Bratva mansion. She simply explained that she was working on getting to Grant and that Starling was a causality that had to happen for her plan.

Grant had offered her a laptop, but it would be modified. She accepted the offer. The technology would later be delivered to her room. She had a room. Oliver chose to put her in his though the previous night. That was an interesting development. The other was thinking about how Oliver Queen had made her Depot.

Granted, there were some strange occurrences in her cell. Like the day she was taken and tied to a chair, the guards weren't patrolling regularly. He never visited her in jail. Diggle said he wanted control in the situation — the list went on. Oliver making her Depot seemed reasonable. More reasonable than her original theory that the CIA had handed her to them. If he made her Bratva the CIA could find her. She was listed as deceased for a reason. Whatever the Depot did they made it stick.

Somehow in the two years since she was pulled from jail, she kept running into Oliver Queen. Like the universe was pulling them back. Moths attracted the flame each other gave off. He kept tabs on her. He knew what she was doing because of Grant Wilson. Oliver handed her over to the organization that killed his parents and had his sister captive. That's the thing she couldn't understand as she sat in the bay window.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Don't forget to leave me a comment :)**


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